Deus ex machina
by Kiwi1
Summary: When Snow loses her ring down the kitchen sink, it throws a wrench into the already complicated relationship between Emma Swan and Regina Mills. Set post finale. AU because of magic!Emma, amongst other things. Swan Queen
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me**

_I saw a post about Snow's ring on Tumblr and got caught up with writing this. _

**Part 1**

Emma Swan hesitantly pushed open the unlocked front door and stepped into the small cosy house. The magical wards guarding the house didn't react to her presence at all, but she could still feel them humming against her senses as she crossed the threshold.

"Hello"? She called out. She unslung her sheathed sword and left it in the conveniently placed umbrella holder beside the door. Storybrooke post curse had certainly resulted in some odd changes, one of them being the fact that she now walked around with a sword.

"In the kitchen, Emma", James's voice was oddly muffled.

Emma walked through the living room, hints of Mary Margaret apparent in the feel of the room. And it was definitely Mary Margaret and not Snow, as she preferred to be called now who was responsible for the décor. Snow was much harder and more pragmatic than Mary Margaret. She wouldn't have selected the cutesy animal print throw blanket or the soft cushions spread across the couch. It was odd seeing the differences in the woman who was both her former best friend and now her mother, all rolled up in one package. They were certainly no Gilmore Girls in their mother-daughter relationship, but they were trying. Both of them were still working out how to simply just be around each other.

She pushed open the kitchen door and her eyebrows crawled up into her hair. The kitchen looked like a bomb had hit it. There were puddles of water spreading across the floor, with several soaked through towels acting as makeshift sandbags. It also looked like a 100 piece toolkit had exploded its contents all over the kitchen. There were tools everywhere, with most of them spread in a circle around the pair of jean clad legs stretched out from under the kitchen sink.

"Should I be calling search and rescue?" Emma drawled as she extended a booted foot and poked at a socket wrench.

"Haha very funny". James pulled himself from under the sink and sat up. His shirt and hair was soaked through with water. He met her eyes and smiled gently at her. "Emma, hi."

Emma smiled back. "Hey James". Her relationship with James was not as complicated as her one with Snow. She hadn't really known the man that well, so there was less baggage in their interaction. "Need a hand?"

"That would be great", James answered gratefully. "Snow managed to drop her ring down the sink, and I'm trying to get it back". He ducked back under the sink. "Can you hold the torch please."

'Ok sure". Emma crouched beside him and grabbed the torch. She shone it into the cramped cupboard.

James fiddled with the pipes and managed to pry one away. He peered into the piece he was holding in his hand, before dropping it to the floor. "Can you shine the light a bit higher please"?

Emma did as he asked and he started working on the pipes again.

"I think I see it" James said excitedly. "Do you think you can reach it?" Both his hands were occupied with holding the pipes apart.

Emma ducked her head under the sink as well and squinted. She thought she could see a gleam of gold sitting in the pipe. "Maybe". It was a tight fit and she didn't have much room to work with. She awkwardly reached across James and hooked a finger into the pipe. Something caught on her finger and she slowly dragged it out. "Yeah. I think I got it". She carefully moved out from under the sink, her hand closing over the object she had retrieved from the pipe.

"Yes"! James exhaled in relief and let the pipes he was hanging onto go. He sat up, with a huge grin on his face. "Your mom…, I mean Snow's going to be so happy".

Emma opened her hand and her eyes widened as she took in the ring sitting on her palm. "Does it always do that"? The stone on the ring was glowing a soft green and it was obvious that magic had something to do with it.

"I haven't seen that in a long time", James's expression softened. "It doesn't glow when Snow is wearing it." He reached out and took the ring from her hand. The glow got slightly brighter. "The ring is enchanted to find Snow. It gets brighter the closer it is to her".

"Nice. Your very own magical Snow GPS". Emma said wryly.

"Right". James stared at the ring fondly for a few more seconds, before holding it out to her. "Think you can drop this off to Snow? I'm going to be stuck here quite a bit longer", he gestured at the mess the kitchen was in.

"Yeah I can do that". Emma carefully took the ring from him and put it in her jacket pocket.

James got to his feet and then immediately extended a hand to help her up. The gesture was instinctive, part of his nature that made him Prince Charming. Emma took his hand and allowed him to help her up.

"I'm sorry I won't be able to go on patrol with you today", he said seriously. Every Monday, Emma and James spent the morning walking the streets of Storybrooke. It had not only become a bonding thing of sorts, but it helped to settle the citizens seeing the Sheriff and her Deputy out and about.

"It's fine, really", Emma waved away his apology. "Town's been really quiet the past couple of weeks. I doubt that I'd be dealing with anything more serious than a stray dog".

James nodded. "Ok. But call me if anything bigger crops up. You have your phone on you right?"

"Of course." Emma held up her phone in response. "It's fully charged." It wouldn't last long though. With the return of magic, battery powered appliances hadn't fared well at all in Storybrooke. It had something to do with the way magic reacted with stored energy, but the end result was that anything with a battery was subjected to a draining effect around magic. It made everyday things like phones a pain to use as they needed to be charged every couple of hours.

"Well I'd better get going. Duty calls and all that". Emma straightened her jacket.

"Stay safe out there".

"Always do." She smiled reassuringly at James. "Good luck with the cleanup".

"Thanks. I'm going to need it". James scratched the back of his head as he looked at the mess in the kitchen. "See you later, Emma.

Emma waggled her fingers at him, before carefully picking her way out of the kitchen.

* * *

Emma fidgeted with the strap on her shoulder, as she strode along the streets of Storybrooke towards the town hall. She hoped to catch Snow there and return her ring to her. It felt a little ridiculous walking along with a sword on her back, but now that magic existed in this world, swords had apparently become the must have weapon of choice. She still carried her standard issue pistol, but she'd found that the sight of the large shiny sword seemed to be a much bigger deterrent than the small gun. Of course it probably didn't hurt that her own particular talents combined rather nicely with the enchantments woven into the sword by one of the most powerful magic users around.

It had been three months since the curse had broken, and Storybrooke was still adjusting to the changes. She was still the sheriff, but Snow White was now mayor after a landslide election victory. It also helped that Regina Mills hadn't bothered contesting the election.

Emma blew out a breath as she thought of Regina. The woman could be the most infuriating aggravating bitch, but she was also totally devoted to Henry, and Emma trusted her to make sure that he was safe from the chaos Storybrooke had descended into.

Of course it had taken a lot of yelling and screaming and tears to get Snow to even consider a truce with Regina, but she'd eventually come around once she realised how much they needed her magic.

Emma bobbed her head awkwardly as a woman half curtsied to her as she walked past. There was a notable deference to the way people interacted with her. It had nothing to do with the badge clipped to her belt, and everything to do with being Snow and James's daughter. The fact that she was royalty was yet another thing on the long list of changes she was dealing with.

She made her way up the stairs of the town hall. The building looked a little worse for wear at it had been a target during the initial few days of chaos. There were still a couple of scorch marks visible on the walls, but the majority of the damage like the blown out windows had been repaired.

Emma nodded at the two deputies stationed at the entrance, before entering the building itself. Storybrooke's sheriff department had undergone a significant expansion. Most of Snow's ex royal guard had joined up. She was still a little uncomfortable with the fact that she now had what amounted to be her own private army, but Emma had to admit that they had become essential to keeping the peace. Beefing up security at the town hall, and other tactically significant assets, like the school, had become a necessity to ensuring that the town kept running smoothly.

She headed for the conference room, hoping to find Snow there. The woman rarely used Regina's opulent mayoral office. She preferred the more approachable aspect of the conference room. Emma ducked her head in the door and scanned the room. Unfortunately there was no sigh of Snow. In fact the only person in the normally busy conference room was Ruby, or Red as she preferred to be called now.

"Emma!" Red grinned at her from over a pile of documents. "How you been girl? Haven't seen you at the diner the past couple of days".

"Hi Red". Emma smiled back and shoved her hands into her pockets. "Yeah was a busy weekend."

"Oh? Do tell." Red dropped the papers in her hand and sauntered out from behind the large conference table.

"Nothing like that". Emma responded quickly. "Henry's got a school project due. We spent the whole weekend on it."

The truth was she'd spent the weekend with both Henry and Regina working on a scale model of the solar system. It had actually ended up being a surprising amount of fun. She even had pictures on her phone of a paint covered Regina that she was sure she could save for future blackmail material.

The three of them were still adjusting to the changes that had resulted from the shared custody agreement that Snow had insisted on as part of the truce with Regina. Emma was meant to get Henry two nights a week and every other weekend, but recently it hadn't been working out that way. On the nights she was meant to have Henry, Emma found herself eating dinner at the Mills mansion. Dinner was usually followed by a movie or some other activity and by the time they were done, Henry was fast asleep and she didn't have the heart to drag him to her apartment. Neither Henry, nor her had protested the arrangement much, and Regina for her part actually let Emma spend time with Henry on the weekends that were meant to belong to her. It was working for now. She still got to spend time with her kid, and he didn't have to keep going back and forth between two places. The fact that her relationship with Regina was also much more cordial for the most part, had not escaped her notice either.

"You wouldn't happen to know where Snow is? Emma quickly changed the subject.

Red's face fell. "Oh you just missed her. She's doing a tour of the businesses that were affected by the flooding".

"I see". Emma sighed. It meant that Snow could be at any of a dozen places that had been hit when Hook had sailed his ship into the heart of Storybrooke.

"Is it urgent? I can send one of the fairies out if needed".

Emma immediately shook her head. "No it's okay. It can keep".

"Are you sure?" Red looked ready to leap into action.

"Really it's fine." Emma smiled reassuringly at her. "I'm heading back out on patrol now anyways. Maybe I'll run into Snow."

"Ok be sure to stop by at the diner. Granny's made her famous chilli".

"Thanks for the tip". Emma laughed as she backed out the door. "Bye Red".

"Bye Emma".

* * *

Emma paused at the foot of the stairs as a thought struck her. She reached into her jacket pocket and retrieved Snow's ring. She turned in a slow circle watching the soft green glow on the ring, and stopped as it got brighter.

She grinned. "Snow GPS indeed".

Emma wasn't smiling though, when she found herself outside a very familiar house. She stopped and double checked the ring. The glow was so much brighter that it was almost white. There was no mistaking the direction it was pointing her in.

She suppressed a groan as she stared at the Mills mansion. If Snow was indeed in there, it could only lead to trouble. She may have made a grudging truce with Regina, but the two women really couldn't stand being in close proximity to each other without it turning nasty. To keep the fragile peace, both parties tended to avoid being around each other as much as possible. The fact that they were now alone together in the same house was bad, very bad.

Emma forced herself to open the gate and walk up the pathway, visions of bloody mayhem playing behind her eyes. She felt the wards around the house bend around her. Regina knew she was there now and there was no turning back. She hesitated a moment at the door, but then gathered her courage and rang the doorbell.

The door opened almost immediately to reveal a rather annoyed looking Regina Mills. She was dressed impeccably as usual, in a white silk blouse and grey pencil skirt, her 4 inch heels putting her at eye level with Emma. She could feel the now familiar hum of Regina's magic crackling in the air, and she forced herself to not react to it. The glow of power that surrounded the dark haired woman was almost overwhelming.

"Sheriff Swan, I thought I made it very clear to you that I was not to be disturbed today." Regina's immaculate collar length dark hair rippled like an invisible wind was stirring it. She stepped into Emma's personal space, the glare on her face enough to flay the flesh from bones.

"Hello to you too Regina. Why yes, I'm having a superb day. Thanks for asking". Emma didn't so much as flinch. She simply rolled her eyes and craned her neck, trying to see over Regina's shoulder. "Where's Snow?"

"Why would I know the whereabouts of that woman?" Regina all but spat at her. "And what is that?" She pointed at the ring Emma still held in her hand.

"Snow's not here?" Emma asked in surprise. "But the ring…", she broke off and looked more closely at her hand. The ring was now glowing an almost incandescent white. She slowly moved it closer to Regina, who tensed immediately as the ring started making a buzzing noise.

"Sheriff Swan", she began in a low dangerous voice. "You have a very small window of time to explain why you have brought an unknown magical artefact into my home".

"Relax Regina", Emma said distractedly as she moved the ring away from Regina. The buzzing noise stopped. "I'm sure it's perfectly safe. But I think it's broken. The ring's mean to find Snow. It's clearly not working".

Regina did not look at all appeased and continued to eye the ring like it was a live grenade. "In my experience Sheriff Swan, broken magical items are rarely safe". She held out her hand imperiously. "Give it to me".

Emma hesitated as she glanced between the ring and increasingly impatient brown eyes. It was Snow's engagement ring after all. She didn't think she would be able to smooth things over if Regina destroyed it. "Fine, but try not to damage it okay." She took a deep breath and reluctantly dropped it into Regina's outstretched palm.

The ring immediately stopped glowing and reverted to just a plain green stone. Regina didn't react, but Emma could feel her draw on her magic, her brow furrowing in concentration. Emma clenched her jaw and started doing math in her head. Being around Regina when she channelled magic, was always a difficult and distracting experience for her. It was like every inch of her exposed skin was a live nerve ending, reacting to the almost sensuous swirl of Regina's magic. Emma fought the overwhelming urge she had to reach out and draw the magic to her.

"Well it does seem to be a tracking spell", Regina said slowly. She frowned and directed more tendrils of magic at the ring. She recoiled almost immediately and hissed out one word. 'Rumplestilskin".

Emma reacted on pure instinct. One of the jewels on the pommel of her sword instantly dimmed as she drew the magic out of it. The air bent and warped around her, briefly outlining her in a heat haze like shimmer. In a blur of movement too fast to see, she snatched the ring out of Regina's hand and hurled it out the open front door. She grabbed Regina around the waist and turned, pressing the other woman into the door, and covering her with her own body. The ring hurtled through the air until it finally impacted the gate at the end of the footpath, chips of wood flying off into the air. It ricocheted back and bounced several times on the concrete footpath before coming to a stop.

Regina gave a startled gasp, as she found herself pinned to the door by the blonde's lithe body. She brought both her hands up and pushed ineffectually against Emma's chest. Emma ignored her, her attention focused solely on the ring.

"Emma, look at me", Regina said softly.

Emma felt delicate fingers on her jaw, coaxing her to turn her head. She reluctantly met dark brown eyes.

"The enchantment on the ring was made by Rumplestilskin, but I don't think it's currently in a state where it poses a threat." Regina was still talking in that same soft tone. She slowly stroked her thumb back and forth across Emma's jaw.

"Are you sure?" Emma almost growled the question.

"Not a hundred percent no, but I do have something that will render it inert, until you can get it checked out properly". Regina released her grip on Emma's jaw and held her hand out. A purple mist covered her palm until it coalesced into a small metal box. "It's made of a very rare metal that acts almost like your abilities do".

Emma stared at the box. The area around it was odd. Regina's magic was bending away from it, creating a void. She glanced back at the dark haired woman and noted the slight discomfort in her posture. It obviously wasn't pleasant for her to be touching the box.

"Fine". Emma was suddenly very aware of the soft curves she was still pressed tightly against. She stepped back and took the box out of Regina's hand. "You stay right here and don't move a muscle until I get that ring into this box".

Regina's eyes narrowed, but then she nodded tightly.

Emma disappeared out the door, blowing Regina's hair back in a woosh of displaced air. She gingerly picked up the ring and placed it into the box, shutting it firmly. She blurred back to the house and reappeared in front of Regina a moment later.

Regina shot Emma an aggravated glare and ran a hand through her hair, pushing back the unruly strands that had fallen into her eyes. "Are you quite done with invading my personal space today, Sheriff Swan?

Emma snorted in disbelief. "Lady, you're the last person who should be complaining about personal space". She held up the box. "Now what?"

"I suggest you give that to the Mother Superior." Regina all but snarled the name. "Let her and her band of colourful mosquitoes work out what it actually does".

Emma nodded. "Ok good idea". She shifted on the balls of her feet. She could still feel the magic running through her, fizzing in her blood and lending her strength and speed. It was like an adrenaline rush, but much much more intense. She needed to work it off. "I'd better get going then".

"Before you do, let me see your sword". Regina tone made it clear that it wasn't a request.

Emma sighed in resignation and simply handed over the sword. Regina drew it from the scabbard and ran her fingers over the three jewels that were inset into the pommel. The middle jewel was colourless and drained of all its magic. Emma once again gritted her teeth as she felt the other woman channel her magic. It was worse this time, given the magic flowing in her veins heightened her senses to almost painful levels. She was hyperaware of the nearness of the other woman, the smell of her perfume a potent heady mix. Her fingers itched to run across the smooth expanse of olive toned skin on display, and dip below the dangerously unbuttoned shirt.

Emma nervously licked her lips and kept her eyes firmly fixed on the sword. The jewel slowly took on a purple hue, until it once again matched its neighbours.

Regina carefully sheathed the sword and handed it back to Emma.

"Thanks", Emma mumbled, trying not to look at Regina as she slung the sword over her shoulder. She almost jumped in surprise when Regina stepped closer to her and adjusted her collar, where the strap of the sword had trapped it underneath it. Warm fingers brushed against the sensitive skin of her throat and Emma stopped breathing. She raised her head and looked into dark eyes.

Regina's hands tightened on the lapels of her jacket. "Sheriff Swan," she began warningly, but Emma cut off the rest of her sentence by leaning forward and capturing her lips. For a glorious instant she felt Regina respond to the kiss, soft curves melting into her own, when suddenly the warmth was ripped away, and she found herself airborne. She instinctively adjusted her body in the air and landed gracefully on both feet, halfway down the pathway.

"Regina, what the hell?" Emma glared at the woman. She'd just been hurled 15 feet through the air by magic. If she'd been anyone else she would have likely been injured on landing. Luckily she still had a tight grip on the box containing the ring.

"Sheriff Swan, I thought we'd settled this." Regina's voice was icy cold. She straightened to her full height and smoothed her skirt. "The attraction between us is merely a result of the interaction of my magic with yours, nothing more. You need to exercise more control".

"Control. Right". Emma laughed bitterly, stung by the other women's words. "You know what Regina? You can take your control and shove it." She didn't wait for a response, but turned and blurred away. She leaped effortlessly over the gate and accelerated down the road, trying to get as far away as possible from the dark haired woman.

If she had looked back, she would have seen Regina slump against the doorway and touch a shaking hand to her lips.

* * *

TBC

Ok I know I should be working on Cry Havoc, but this plot bunny just wouldn't leave me alone. I think I'm going to have to get it out of my system.

Would love to hear your feedback.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. No profit is being made.**

After a couple of laps of the town running at full speed, with the scenery flashing by like a stop motion movie, Emma could feel the magic high in her blood fading. To the citizens of Storybrooke, she would have seemed like a red blur, hurtling along the streets. She was careful to run on the road and not the footpath, as the speed she was travelling at created a shockwave of air behind her that would have been very disruptive.

Emma didn't want to admit to herself how much Regina's comment had got to her.

She'd really started to enjoy the time they spent together with Henry. And it wasn't just because of the kid. Regina had a dry wit and cutting intellect that she'd really come to appreciate, and she actually looked forward to their verbal sparring matches. There was rarely any true malice in their arguments anymore, and Emma had often caught a gleam in dark eyes, that told her that Regina was enjoying it just as much as she was. The one unspoken rule they had in their interaction though, was to pointedly ignore the strong physical attraction that existed between them. Emma understood the many many reasons behind why it could never happen, but it still didn't mean that she dealt well with rejection. The fact that Regina had felt the need to hurl her away with magic when Emma tried to kiss her, actually stung her ego more than she cared to acknowledge.

Emma could feel herself slowing as the magic in her blood started to fizzle out. She headed back to the centre of town, and by the time she reached Granny's, she was moving at a normal jog and was visible to everyone once again. She glanced into the diner but none of the people she needed to see were in there. Emma looked at the box she still held tightly in her hand and decided that the town hall was probably her best bet.

When she entered the conference room this time, she was relieved to see not only Snow and James, but the Mother Superior as well. In fact most of Snow's council were present at the table.

"Emma". Snow's face broke out into a warm smile when she saw the blonde. She got up from the table and hugged her.

"Hi". Emma awkwardly hugged her back, careful to keep the box out of the way. "We have a problem", she said quietly.

Snow's face immediately creased in concern. "Private or public"? She asked just as softly.

"Private. Definitely private. But we need the Mother Superior's input."

Snow nodded and turned to the rest of the room. "Red, I'm going to be working from my office for the rest of the afternoon. Can you please hold all my calls, unless it's an emergency of course."

"Will do, Snow." Red nodded in response.

"James, Mother Superior, with me please." Snow exited the conference room and headed for the Mayor's office with the three of them in tow.

The office itself still screamed Regina, and Emma totally got why Snow rarely used it.

She walked to the large marble desk and carefully placed the box on it. She noted the expression of distaste that crossed the Mother Superior's face as she took in the box.

Snow and James settled on the leather couch and the nun took one of the plush chairs in front of the desk. Emma remained standing and decided to just cut to the chase. "James, where did you get Snow's engagement ring from?"

"Snow's ring?" James's brow crinkled in confusion. "It belonged to my mother. Why?"

Emma folded her arms and leaned back on the desk. "Because the enchantment on it was cast by Rumplestilskin".

"Yes I know that". James answered calmly. "He wouldn't do it unless I made a deal with him. I had to hide the egg in Maleficent in return for the enchantment on the ring".

"What?" Mother Superior sounded appalled. "You mean to tell me that Mayor White has been wearing an item enchanted by Rumplestilskin? The Dark One is not to be trusted. His deals rarely come without strings attached. There is no telling what side effects the ring could have on the wearer."

James's face drained of colour and he immediately reached for Snow, who had remained silent throughout the conversation. "I didn't think of it that way. It was just a glowing stone on the ring. I thought it was harmless".

Snow patted his hands reassuringly, but she looked a little pale herself. "For what it's worth, it never occurred to me either." She took a breath. "So what do we do?"

"I think it's best if you let me examine the ring." Mother Superior answered firmly. "That way we will be able to tell exactly what the enchantment on the ring does".

"Of course. If that's what you think is best." Snow inclined her head.

Emma kept her face carefully expressionless. She didn't share Snow's blind trust in the nun, especially when it came to magic. It was hard to tell what her motivations were exactly. At least with Regina, Emma knew that she would do everything in her power to keep Henry safe. The woman had given up on her curse the moment she discovered he was in danger. Mother Superior though was harder to gauge. Emma was still trying to work out what her angle was, and until she did she wasn't going to fully trust her.

"I will advise you of the results as soon as we have them". Mother Superior stood and picked up the box with obvious reluctance. Her magic bent away from the box, much like Regina's had.

"Careful with the box please." Emma felt compelled to interject. "I'm sure Regina will want it back in one piece".

Mother Superior paused and looked contemplatively down at the box. "I suspected that it belonged to Her Majesty. It's something that would appeal to her nature". She turned to look at Emma directly. "It's interesting that she would involve herself in this though."

The nun's tone was deceptively mild, but Emma instantly felt her hackles rise. "Regina's the one who discovered that Rumplestilskin cast the enchantment, and she immediately offered up the box to make sure the ring was deactivated." Emma straightened to her full height and stared down at the much shorter women. "I think the least we can do is return her property to her in the same condition we received it in."

"Understood". Mother Superior smiled serenely. "Fairy magic is not destructive in nature, but I will personally ensure that there are extra safeguards in place so that the box remains undamaged".

Emma smiled back, but the smile never touched her eyes. "Thank you, Mother Superior".

The nun inclined her head. "If there is nothing else, I think it's best that I get started on this as soon as possible".

"I think we've covered everything for now", Snow answered after exchanging a quick look with James.

"I'll see you out, Mother Superior", he got to his feet and escorted the nun to the door.

Snow waited for the door to shut before focusing her attention on Emma. "So how exactly did Regina get her hands on my ring?"

Emma's shoulders slumped. Snow had become increasingly disapproving of the time Emma spent at the Mills mansion. No matter how many examples Emma provided her of Regina's goodwill in regards to her and Henry, Snow still believed that the ex mayor was setting her up for something.

Emma decided to go with the cliff notes version of events. "She saw the magic in the ring and demanded a closer look at it. That's when she discovered the whole Rumplestilskin thing, which I must say totally threw me for a loop. What were you guys thinking?"

Snow sighed. "We obviously weren't". She ran a tired hand over her face and slumped over on the couch.

Emma felt concern twinge in her chest as she noted how exhausted Snow looked. She really hoped that ring didn't have anything nasty associated with it. She decided to drop by the pawn shop later, to see if she could rattle a few cages. Gold had seemingly abandoned it, but she was sure he still kept an eye on the place.

The door opened and James stepped back into the office. He immediately went over to Snow and knelt beside her. "I'm sorry Snow. This is all my fault. I will never forgive myself if anything happened to you because of my stupidity".

"No Charming, stop blaming yourself", Snow smiled softly at him and took his hands. "I knew who cast the enchantment as well." James kept his head bowed, obviously not convinced.

"Hey, look at me". Snow cupped his face and forced him to meet her eyes. "This is not your fault".

Emma looked away, feeling like an intruder. Snow and James had a way of interacting that seemed to shut out the entire world. It made her uncomfortable, not only because they were her parents, but because she didn't know whether she was more angry or jealous that they had something that she'd been starved off her entire life.

She cleared her throat. "I'm going to get going as well".

Snow immediately broke her gaze with James, her face falling. "Do you have to? I thought we could have lunch together. I haven't seen you much lately." James moved to the couch and sat beside Snow, who instantly leant into him.

"I have some things I need to get done before I pick Henry up from school." Emma smiled apologetically, feeling a bit guilty. It was true that she hadn't been spending much time with Snow recently. Between the crazy demands of her job keeping order in a post curse Storybrooke, and sharing custody of Henry with Regina, she rarely had any free time for anything else. "Rain check?"

Snow smiled back a little sadly. "No problem. Maybe next time".

"Definitely. Let me know as soon as you hear back from Mother Superior please".

"Of course. Stay safe out there."

"Bye Emma". James added softly.

* * *

Emma cautiously slipped under the yellow tape surrounding Gold's pawn shop. Gold had apparently set a magical defence system that triggered some very nasty booby traps, and several people had been injured trying to enter the abandoned shop. Neither Regina nor the Mother Superior had had any success with disabling the defences, so they had just cordoned off the area and warned everyone off.

Emma needed answers though, and she figured if she could get past Gold's defence system, he was bound to take notice. She was confident that she'd be able to avoid any booby traps using her enhanced speed.

She paused at the door and took a deep breath, drawing on the gems in her sword. The air warped around her and she immediately felt energised, magic fizzing in her blood. She left the sword sheathed for now, figuring it would only interfere with her mobility if she drew it. Emma cautiously pushed the door open and stepped into the store. The place was dusty, and the shelves filled with oddly shaped objects gave the place a creepy air. Even before the curse had broken, she hadn't felt comfortable going in the store. She squinted, wishing she'd thought of bringing a torch. With the windows shuttered, the back of the store was shrouded in darkness.

Emma cautiously took a step forward. The whisper of displaced air was her only warning, and she calmly tilted her head to the right. A blade made of black energy whizzed past her ear, and dissipated as it hit the wall behind her. Emma raised an eyebrow as she stared at the single strand of blond hair that was slowly floating to the ground.

"Nasty".

She moved further into the store. Multiple blades sang through the air towards her, from three different directions. She drew her sword in a blur of motion and spun rapidly, deflecting each of the shadow blades with ease. The blades dissipated as soon as they touched the wall or the floor of the store, but passed through everything else, bar Emma herself, harmlessly. It was an effective way of protecting the merchandise.

Emma shrugged and kept moving. The next trap triggered and this time the floor under her feet rippled, the surface changing to solid black. Emma leapt up onto one of the side counters. The air filled with a whirring noise and her eyes widened as she took in the wall of shadow blades headed towards her. She had limited room to move on the counter, so she was going to need to make every step count. She whirled, bent and dodged, her form blurring as she avoided and deflected the blades. If anyone had been watching, it would have looked like she was made of shadow and smoke herself.

As the last of the blades dissipated, Emma was still standing, but she was leaning heavily on her sword, trying to catch her breath. There was a patch of red spreading across her white tank top, just below her ribs. She lifted the hem and winced at the three inch cut across her torso. It wasn't life threatening, but it certainly hurt like a bitch.

Obviously this hadn't been such a great idea after all. She had limited space to move in, but there didn't seem to be a limit on the amount of blades coming at her. That time the wall of blades had come from only one direction. Emma figured that the next trap would trigger blades from multiple directions and eventually she would be overwhelmed. The magic in her blood made her faster and stronger, but it definitely did not make her invulnerable. She bled just as easily as anyone else if the blades hit her.

It was time to cut her losses and get out of there. She had a problem though. The floor was still a solid roiling mass of black energy, and she couldn't get back to the door without touching it at least once. She carefully sheathed her sword and considered her options. There weren't any other counters between her and the door, and the shelves weren't an option either, as they looked too flimsy to hold her weight. If she moved fast enough though, it was possible that whatever the floor did wouldn't affect her. She gritted her teeth and drained another gem on her sword. Magic flowed into her veins, giving her a burst of energy and confidence.

Emma took a deep breath and blurred towards the door. As soon as she hit the floor, she knew she'd made a terrible mistake. A massive jolt of energy passed through her body, and Emma collapsed like she'd been poleaxed. She felt her natural ability kick in, trying to absorb the energy flow, but it was too much. She twitched helplessly, synapses overloading from the dark energy pouring into her system. Her heart struggled to maintain its rhythm and Emma's vision starting to fade. The last thing she saw was a pair of black pumps, and then everything went purple, then dark.

* * *

Emma woke to a sharp pain in her face. "Ow". She opened her eyes and grabbed at her cheek. "Did you just slap me?" She demanded as she sat bolt upright and glared into dark brown eyes.

"You certainly don't deserve to be kissed awake". Regina snapped derisively. She gracefully rose to her feet and stepped away from the bed. "What were you thinking?"

"What the hell?" Emma blinked as she took in her surroundings. "I'm in your bedroom". She recognised the room from the few glimpses she's had of it, while walking past to put Henry to bed. "How did I get from Gold's shop to here?

"So you _do_ remember your poorly thought out excursion". Regina said in a deceptively calm tone of voice. "You're lucky I left a tracer on the door to alert me if anyone entered Gold's shop. It's the only reason you're still alive now."

Emma rubbed at her temples, still trying to process what had happened. It felt like her head was wrapped in cotton wool. Her magic sensing was totally fried, which wasn't surprising considering the energy overload she'd been subjected to She could barely feel Regina, and she normally showed up like a blazing sun on Emma's magic radar.

She glanced down at herself and gasped. Apart from her bra, she was bare from the waist up. She still had her jeans on, but her boots were also missing. "My clothes! You _undressed_ me?" Emma winced as she heard her voice hit a particularly shrill note. She defensively crossed her arms over her chest.

"Calm down, Sheriff Swan. I had to remove some of your clothing in order to treat your injury".

"Oh". Emma looked down at the smooth unblemished skin of her torso, only just realising that the cut had disappeared. She could feel her face heating up. "I,…thanks", she said softly.

"You're welcome". Regina's response was surprisingly non antagonistic.

Emma looked more closely at the other woman and noticed how tired she looked. Her usually perfect hair was dishevelled, like she'd been running her hands through it repeatedly.

Regina noted her gaze and her face instantly hardened. "So tell me Sheriff Swan, what possessed you to enter Gold's shop?"

Emma's jaw clenched and she gripped at the comforter beneath her. She knew she'd screwed up, but it was hard to admit it to Regina of all people. "Not that it's any of your business, but I needed answers from Gold."

"You made it my business when I had to drag your comatose body out of the trap you got stuck in" Regina's voice was icy cold.

"Yeah? Well nobody asked for your help", Emma snapped back angrily.

Regina recoiled like she'd been slapped, hurt flashing briefly in dark eyes.

"Shit Regina, I'm sorry." Emma ran a hand through her hair. "I didn't mean that. I'm really grateful that you saved me". She tried to catch Regina's gaze, but the other woman turned away, her arms wrapped defensively around herself.

Emma took a deep breath. "Snow, she wore that ring for a long time. She would have been wearing it when she was pregnant with me." Emma lowered her head and fixed her gaze on the comforter. "I needed to know if Gold did anything to make me turn out the way he wanted. Like a genetically modified saviour", Emma laughed, but it came out sounding more like a half sob. Ever since she'd learnt about the enchantment on the ring, she'd felt out of sorts, a cold knot of fear curling in the depths of her stomach. What if she was just a puppet, programmed to do exactly what Gold needed her to do? She could be a danger to everything and everyone she cared about.

There was silence for a long moment, and then Emma felt the bed dip. Warm fingers tilted her jaw, forcing her to meet brown eyes. "Listen to me Emma", Regina's voice was firm. "You are the product of true love. There is no force in this entire universe that could have changed who you were meant to be".

"Are you sure?" Emma covered Regina's hand with her own and leaned into her touch.

"Absolutely sure". Regina smiled softly. "True love is the most powerful magic of all." Her eyes narrowed suddenly. "You should know that better than anyone. You managed to break my curse with it after all".

Emma stared into brown eyes, warmth spreading in her chest, as relief loosened the knot in her stomach. "Damn right. I so did". Her eyes dropped to full red lips and she felt a frisson of _something_ pass through her. She flicked back up to Regina's eyes and smirked when she noted where the other woman's gaze was focused. It seemed that Regina was an abs woman.

Regina looked slightly flustered and immediately extracted her hand from Emma's, and stood up. "You should get dressed, Sheriff Swan. It's nearly time to pick Henry up from school." She walked over to her closet and came back out with a black silk shirt.

"I guess I'm going to be 'enjoying' another one of your shirts then?" Emma made little quotation marks with her fingers.

Regina rolled her eyes and dropped the shirt on the bed. "Really, Sheriff Swan. Must you behave like a ten year old?" She walked out of the bedroom without giving Emma a chance to respond.

Emma swung her bare feet off the bed and grabbed the shirt, slipping it over her shoulders. She had to admit the shirt felt very nice against her skin, and the fact that it smelt like Regina's fabric softener only added to the appeal. She spotted her boots on the floor near the window and stood up to retrieve them. Her sword was also in the room, leaning against the dresser. She wasn't surprised to see that the two gems she'd drained were once again full of power. Regina never let her leave without fully recharging the gems on the sword.

Emma sat back down and the bed and tugged on her boots. She had just completed pulling them on when the staccato click of heels alerted her to Regina's impending return. The dark haired woman re-entered the room with Emma's leather jacket in her hand.

"My jacket!" Emma leapt up and grabbed it off her. She gave it a thorough once over and her eyes widened in shock.

"You cleaned my jacket?"

Regina's lip curled. "Don't read too much into it, dear. It was long overdue for disinfection".

Emma felt warmth bubble in her chest. Regina had never made a secret of the disdain that she held for Emma's beloved jacket, but she'd taken the time and effort to clean it. "Thank you," she said quietly.

Regina just nodded in response. "It's time you left, Sheriff Swan. You don't want to be late picking up my son". She turned on her heel and headed for the door.

"Our son", Emma corrected automatically as she picked up her sword and trailed after her.

Regina huffed. "Dinner will be at 6pm sharp. Do not spoil Henry's appetite by feeding him junk food beforehand."

"Yes Regina", she answered dutifully.

Emma had a small smile on her face, long after she left the Mills Mansion.

* * *

TBC

**I just wanted to say thank you so much for all the reviews, follows and favourites. I was totally overwhelmed by them. I'm really glad you guys are enjoying the story.  
**

**I reuploaded a portion of chapter 2, because I realised the tone wasn't quite right. The joys of self betaing ;)  
**


	3. Interlude

**Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. No profit is being made**

_Ok this story was inspired by the dress Lana Parrilla wore to the ALMA awards. It's an interlude so doesn't fit into the main timeline of the story. Just think of it as something that happened before Snow lost her ring._

* * *

Emma had just finished putting the last of the dishes away, while Regina wiped down the countertops, when Henry charged into the kitchen waving a white envelope in his hand.

"Mom, Mom, did you see this?"

"No running in the house, Henry", Regina admonished automatically. She carefully dried her hands and took the envelope from Henry. "Storybrooke's first annual solstice ball", she said in flat tone of voice. "How interesting".

Snow and the rest of the council had decided to hold a formal ball to mark the longest day of the year. It was apparently a big FTL tradition, and Snow felt it was good opportunity to get everyone together. It had been a tough few months for the citizens of Storybrooke, trying to cope with not only the return of magic, but also merging their FTL identities with the lives they had lived for nearly three decades.

The tone of Regina's response was totally lost on Henry who was almost vibrating with excitement.

"Everyone in class was talking about it today. How it was going to be just like a fairytale ball. Can we go?" Henry said excitedly. "Please Mom", he looked pleadingly at Regina.

Regina's face went blank and she looked at the invitation in her hand for a long moment. She glanced back at Henry and her face softened. "I suppose it would be an interesting experience. As long as Sheriff Swan has you home by 8pm."

Henry looked confused. "No Mom." His face cleared and he smiled. "Oh I'm doing it wrong." He moved till he was directly in front of Regina and executed a wobbly bow. "Would you do me the honour of letting me escort you to the ball, Mom?"

Regina went very still and she just stared at Henry, her eyes looking watery.

Emma felt her chest tighten in sympathy. It was obvious that Regina had been very hurt by the way Henry had treated her before the curse broke. They'd been slowly repairing their relationship over the past few months, but she still caught glimpses of pain and uncertainty in Regina eyes, when it came to Henry's affection. It was like there was a part of her that was just waiting for him to reject her again.

"Mom?", Henry's smile slipped a little as Regina continued to just stare at him in silence.

Emma took a step forward and carefully placed a hand on Regina's shoulder. "I think your Mom would love to go with you Henry", she said quietly. Her touch seemed to jolt Regina out of her shock.

She reached out a trembling hand out and touched Henry's face. "Of course I would. Nothing would give me more pleasure than for you to escort me to the ball, Henry".

Emma dropped her hand and stepped away, a soft smile on her face as she watched Regina hug Henry tightly.

* * *

Emma rang the doorbell at the Mills mansion and was surprised when Henry answered the door. He looked adorable in a black tuxedo, complete with a little bow tie and cummerbund.

"Emma you're here." He grabbed her hand and dragged her into the foyer. "Mom's still getting ready".

"Woah kid, slow down", she said a little anxiously. It had been a while since she'd worn 3 inch heels and she was just a little uncomfortable with sudden movements.

"Sorry". Henry apologised. He looked at the white box she had in her hand. "What's that?"

"It's for you to give to your Mom". Emma held out the box to him. "It's called a corsage and it goes on her wrist".

Henry carefully took the box. "When do I give it to her?"

Emma smiled and had to resist the urge to tousle his flattened hair. He'd obviously slicked it down with some kind of product. "After she comes down the stairs".

"Alright". Henry tipped his head back and looked at Emma. "You look nice".

"Thanks", Emma said. She'd thought long and hard on what to wear and in the end settled for her current outfit, more out of practicality than anything else. The ball was the first official public event since Snow became mayor, and Emma was worried that Gold would see it as an opportunity to cause trouble. She'd insisted on heavy security at the venue and expected to spend most of the evening making sure things didn't go awry.

The sound of a door opening and shutting upstairs made both of them turn towards the stairs. Emma felt her breath catch in her throat she got her first look at Regina. She was absolutely stunning in a full length form fitting black gown that hugged her every curve. The dress was sleeveless and exposed wonderfully toned arms and shoulders. Her hair fell in soft elegant waves around her face, very different from her usual straight flippy style.

"Sheriff Swan, what are you doing here?" Regina came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs, and looked Emma up and down. Her magic tingled across Emma's senses, like static electricity.

Emma swallowed nervously as she was caught in smoky dark eyes. "Hello Regina". She was incredibly relieved when her voice came out evenly. "A certain Mr Mills, has engaged my services as your chauffeur tonight".

"Oh really?" Regina's blood red lips pursed as she turned her attention to Henry.

"Yes Mom. Emma's driving us tonight." Henry impatiently held out the box in his hand. "This is for you".

Regina's eyes softened as she took the box from him. "Thank you, Henry". She opened the box and a soft smile tugged at her lips as she saw the corsage. "It's beautiful". She was settling it on her wrist, when she paused, "I left the camera in the study. Henry, can you please fetch it".

"Sure Mom". Henry took off in the direction of the study.

Emma watched delicate fingers struggle with the clasp on the corsage, and suddenly found herself in the other woman's personal space. "Here, let me". She adjusted the corsage and carefully closed the clasp. It was only after she was done, that she realised how close she was to the dark haired woman. She looked up to see Regina studying her, an unreadable expression in her dark eyes.

"Interesting choice of attire, Sheriff Swan", Regina said mildly.

Emma's hand flew to her throat and she tugged nervously on the knot on her tie. She'd settled on a tailored black suit and white shirt combo, figuring that it would be a lot easier to move in than a dress. "Well I figured if I was going to be chauffeuring you two around, I may as well dress the part".

"Indeed". Regina gave her a slow once over, that caused heat to spread across the blonde's cheeks. "Though I wouldn't say your outfit exactly screams chauffeur, not with that hairdo".

Emma resisted the urge to run her hand through her hair, knowing that her braided up do would not take well to rough handling. The braids were arranged like a crown on her head, all entirely Red's idea, and Emma was already regretting it. "Yeah well…", she trailed off awkwardly, still clutching at her tie.

Regina's eyes narrowed. "Whoever taught you to knot a tie needs to be sent back to etiquette school. It's atrocious".

Emma rolled her eyes. "Yes I'm sure Wikipedia will appreciate your scathing criticism." She deliberately tugged on the tie and winced when the knot loosened and almost came undone.

"Oh for God's sake." Regina stepped forward and to Emma's surprise, batted her hand out the way and deftly unknotted the tie. She then made short work of tying it into a perfect half-Windsor knot. Her hands were still resting lightly on top of Emma's tie, when a bright flash of light temporarily blinded them. They both flinched and turned to see Henry standing in the foyer with the camera in his hand.

"Got it", he grinned widely waving the camera.

Regina took a careful step back from Emma. "Be careful with the camera Henry", she admonished.

"Here kid, give it to me", Emma held out her hand. "Go pose with your Mom." She took several photos of a smiling Regina and Henry, before she glanced at her watch and realised they had to get going.

"We'd better get moving, or we're going to be late".

Regina nodded and picked her clutch and wrap from the foyer table. "Alright, give me a moment to lock up".

Emma strolled out the door and made her way to the car, and leaned against the side. She couldn't wait to see Regina's reaction. She knew that the snobby ex mayor would have turned up her nose at riding in her Bug, so she'd called in a favour from Michael. The mechanic had managed to get his hands on a classic Porsche 911 that was all hers for the night.

"Wow cool car, Emma"! Henry said as he carefully escorted Regina down the pathway. It was adorable to see how seriously he was taking the job of being Regina's 'date'. He'd even insisted on secret waltzing lessons with James.

Regina raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow as she took in the Porsche. "I do hope Mayor White hasn't bankrupted the town already. Your raise must have been substantial to enable you to afford this." She couldn't hide the way her eyes lingered on the car though.

Emma grinned as she noted the other woman's covert admiration of the car. "Relax, Regina. It's a loan. The town finances are safe". She pushed the front seat forward and gestured for Henry to get in the back. She made sure he was securely buckled in before moving to the other side and opening the passenger door for Regina. "Your chariot awaits you, Your Majesty". Emma sketched a mocking half bow.

Regina pointedly ignored the helping hand Emma had extended and got into the car by herself.

* * *

Emma drew the car up to entrance of the town hall. The building had been redecorated to reflect the theme of the evening. Extra lighting flooded the area, and there was a huge banner draped across the entrance. There was even a red carpet laid out for the guest to traverse. Emma had been reluctant to use the town hall as the venue for the ball, but it was really the only public building that was big enough to host an event of this size.

A valet opened her door and Emma got out of the car, followed by Henry. Another valet was already assisting Regina out on the other side. Emma reached into the back seat of the car and retrieved her sword. She frowned as she took in the unfamiliar belt scabbard. It was apparently tradition for swords to be worn at the waist, and it would be considered a breach of etiquette if she wore it on her back. Emma carefully belted the sword around her waist, and rested her left hand on the pommel, trying to get used to the weight on her hip.

"Ready Mom?"

She looked up to see Henry offering his arm to Regina like a proper gentleman. Emma had to suppress a squee at the adorable cuteness of it all. The dark haired woman smiled softly and took his arm. They carefully began to walk up the red carpet laden stairs.

Emma's mouth went dry as she took in the back of Regina's gown for the first time. Her eyes refused to leave a certain part of her anatomy. She tilted her head slightly. _Was that a thong?_ Her mind stuttered to a halt.

The sound of someone clearing their throat jolted Emma out of her reverie. She jumped slightly and looked at the valet who had his hand out for the car keys. There was a line of cars waiting for the space. "Sorry. Here you go". She hurriedly dropped the keys into his hand, her cheeks stained red, and all but ran up the stairs.

Once inside, Emma headed straight for the small office being used as security HQ. "How's it looking Leroy? Any suspicious activity?" The former town drunk had turned out to be a surprisingly decent Deputy and he was currently overseeing security in the town hall. He was also one of the few people who chose to keep his Storybrooke name.

"Everything's checked out clear for now, Princess", he answered calmly as he looked her up and down. "Nice threads by the way."

"Uh thanks", Emma fidgeted with her sword.

Leroy sighed. "You want to go over the security arrangements again don't you"?

Emma nodded sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I just want to make sure we have everything covered. I don't want any nasty surprises."

"Alright Princess, I'll make you a deal" Leroy said. "We'll go over the security one more time, but once we're done, you leave me to handle it and go and enjoy the party".

"But..."

"No buts". Leroy interrupted firmly.

"Fine". Emma huffed. The deputy smiled in triumph and started talking.

After much too short a time, Emma found herself banished from the security office. She slowly made her way to the hall where the ball was being held. She tried to sneak into the room, but was immediately pounced on by Red.

"Emma", she squealed as she enthusiastically hugged the blonde. Red stepped back and gave her a once over. "Looking good, girl", she said admiringly as she ran a finger down the sleeve of Emma's jacket.

"Thanks", she said automatically as she looked over Red's shoulder to meet a familiar pair of brown eyes. Regina immediately turned away to talk to Abigail, and Emma focused her attention back on Red. "You look great too", she said awkwardly. The woman was wearing a little black dress, with emphasis on the little.

"Thanks", Red said happily. She hooked her arm through Emma's and dragged her off to mix and mingle.

After greeting way too many people, Emma was starting to get antsy. Her jaw ached with the constant smile that was pasted on her face, and her feet were starting hurt as well due to her heels. She glanced at Red, who was still going strong, her energy level seemingly undiminished. The woman had not left her side and constantly kept the conversation flowing with her bright chatter. She was grateful to Red for sticking with her, but it felt a bit odd. Emma would often find her gaze drifting, only to land on wherever Regina and Henry were. She sometimes thought she saw Regina looking back, but immediately dismissed the idea as ridiculous. It's not like the ex mayor would be interested in her whereabouts.

"Emma", a warm voice interrupted her thoughts and she looked up to see Snow smiling softly at her. "You look wonderful." Snow wrapped her in a hug, that Emma awkwardly returned.

Emma felt her mouth turn up into a genuine smile. "Thanks Snow." She leaned back and took in Snow's pale yellow gown. It really complimented the other woman's skin tone. "You look pretty awesome yourself. That colour really suits you".

Snow laughed happily and leaned her head on Emma's shoulder, slipping an arm around her waist. "I'm glad you approve. My fashion advisor wanted me to wear white".

"Oh so now I've been demoted to fashion advisor?", James complained good naturedly. "Hello Emma", he smiled warmly at the blonde. He looked dashing in a dark grey suit.

"Hi James".

"You look beautiful", James said sincerely as he leaned in to kiss her cheek. There was a soft look of pride in his eyes, that she'd only ever seen him direct at her.

Emma felt her throat close and a suspicious prickling in her yes. "Thank you", she said quietly.

James seemed to sense her discomfort and he immediately changed the subject. "I hope they serve dinner soon. I'm starving".

Snow shot him a disapproving look. "I told you to eat something before we left home". James just smiled adoringly back at her, and Snow sighed. "Fine, let's go check with the caterers". She dropped her arm from Emma's waist and linked up with James. "We'll see you later Emma".

James winked at Emma and they disappeared into the crowd.

Emma smiled and shook her head. She once again found her gaze drifting over to Regina and Henry. They were sitting at a table with Abigail and Frederick.

"You want to sit down?"

Emma jumped in surprise. She had almost forgotten that Red was still beside her as she had stayed silent throughout the meeting with Snow and James. She looked at the other woman, only to see her watching Emma thoughtfully.

"If you don't mind. My feet are killing me", Emma admitted sheepishly.

Red smiled slowly. "I think they're going to serve dinner soon anyway. We should just head to our tables. You're with Regina and Henry", she gestured with her chin.

"You're not coming with?"

"No, my table is over there with Granny", Red pointed to the opposite side of the room.

"Alright". Emma paused and met her eyes. "Hey Red, thanks for everything. You're a good friend".

"Anytime, Emma." Red touched her shoulder lightly, then turned and walked away.

Emma made her way to her table and sank into the empty chair beside Henry with a huge sigh of relief.

* * *

After a rather nice dinner, the dancing started. Emma got out her phone and secretly shot video of Henry and Regina waltzing. Henry had a fierce look of concentration on his face as he tried to get the steps right. Regina for the most part, was an odd mixture of pride, tenderness and astonishment. The usually reserved woman was actually beaming, and it made Emma's breath catch seeing the happiness on her face.

Emma had been coaxed out to dance herself, with James, Snow, Red and Michael. Even Abigail had laughingly dragged her out for a spin on the dance floor. She had dropped by the security office again, only to be kicked out almost instantly by Leroy. Apparently everything was still quiet, and Emma hoped it would stay that way for the rest of the night.

She returned to the table to find just Regina and Henry there. She slid into her seat and tousled his hair. "How's it going, kid?"

"Great. I really enjoyed the dancing." Henry yawned and the two women shared a look over his head. It was obvious he wasn't going to last much longer.

"Yeah you definitely got some moves there", Emma smiled indulgently at Henry.

"You were the perfect gentleman, and I'm so very proud of you Henry". Regina's voice was soft, but the emotion behind the words was loud to Emma's ear.

"Thanks Mom", Henry smiled sleepily at her, another yawn breaking across his face.

"Sheriff Swan", a cold voice intruded and Emma felt a flash of annoyance. She looked up to see her grandfather, George, standing beside the table. He held out his hand demandingly. "May I have this dance"?

Emma suppressed a groan. The man was the most insufferable bore and the last thing she wanted to do was dance with him. He would spend the whole time complaining about how Snow and James were treating him.

She felt a warm hand land on her shoulder. "Oh I'm sorry George, but Sheriff Swan has promised me the next dance. So why don't just run along and find someone else to bother, dear". Regina's voice was a soft purr in her ear and Emma shivered.

George looked like he'd just sucked on a lemon. He turned on his heel and stormed off without a word.

"Thanks" Emma sighed in relief.

Regina shrugged elegantly and removed her hand from Emma's shoulder. "The man's a pompous fool."

Abigail and Frederick returned to the table as she finished speaking and Regina smiled at them. "Just in time. Would you mind watching Henry for a few minutes please?"

"Sure" Abigail answered easily.

"Let's get on with it then".

Emma looked up in surprise as Regina extended a hand to her. She stood up slowly and took Regina's hand, warm fingers entwining with her own. She led them both onto the dance floor in a dazed kind of autopilot. It was only as she placed her hand on Regina's waist and was staring into smoky brown eyes, that she snapped out of it. Something clicked inside her and she felt oddly relaxed.

"I hope you can lead, Sheriff Swan".

Emma laughed, and unconsciously pulled her closer. "It's a bit late to be wondering that now don't you think."

Regina rolled her eyes and adjusted herself, her hand tightening briefly on the blonde's shoulder. They were much closer together than was actually appropriate, but neither woman seemed to notice. The music started and Emma easily whirled them around the floor, a soft smile on her face.

"You're actually surprisingly adept at this. Should I be thanking Wikipedia or You Tube?" Regina asked conversationally.

"Neither", Emma said, her smile slipping slightly. She didn't elaborate and Regina seemed to sense her change of mood.

"Henry was wonderful tonight", she said softly.

"He was too adorable for words", Emma agreed immediately. "You raised a great kid Regina".

Regina just hummed in agreement and they continued to dance in silence. The music finally stopped, signalling the end of the waltz. Emma felt an odd ache in her chest as she reluctantly released Regina and stepped back.

"Thank you Sheriff Swan" Regina sank into a graceful curtsey.

"My pleasure," Emma smiled and bowed in return. She followed Regina back to their table, where they found Henry fast asleep.

"Uh oh, somebody's all tuckered out".

"Indeed. It seems we must make take our leave" Regina started gathering her things. "Thank you for looking after Henry", she smiled at Abigail and Frederick.

"Anytime, Regina", Abigail answered quietly.

Emma carefully lifted the sleeping Henry into her arms. "We'll see you guys later", she whispered trying not to wake him. Regina reached over and gently pulled down his tuxedo jacket, where it had ridden up, her hand lingering on his back.

The two women left the ballroom, with their sleeping son, seemingly unaware of the many pairs of eyes that followed them.

* * *

_Well I hope you enjoyed that little interlude. It was a huge tossup for me on what to put Emma in. I was tempted to go with the red dress JMo was wearing recently, but decided not to in the end, because the Palyfest suit just ended up suiting the story better, so to speak ;)_

_Thanks for all the lovely reviews and favourites on the last chapter. I will get back to working on the main storyline._

_Would love to hear feedback on this little interlude_ .


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me and no profit is being made**

Emma ran, the forest blurring around her. The snap and crash of broken branches sounded in her wake, as her pursuers relentlessly kept pace with her. She threw a quick glance behind her, taking note of the positions of four of her pursuers, but the fifth was nowhere to be seen. A blur of movement from her left was her only warning, and Emma immediately leapt sideways. Her right foot connected with the trunk of the nearest pine tree and she used it as springboard to change direction, launching herself up and over the massive frost hound that had been inches away from taking her head off. The hound turned its head and tried to snap at her as she somersaulted over it, and Emma could feel herself slowing, ice forming on her hair and skin. The magic in her blood fizzled, the deadly cold leeching it faster than normal.

She landed gracefully, and drew on the glowing crystal in her sword, the air warping around her. The hot rush of magic seared through her veins, counteracting the numbing cold and she accelerated off, opening a gap between herself and the pack.

Emma's lips compressed into a grim line. That had been her last crystal and once the magic in her blood ran out, she would be a sitting duck. She couldn't afford too many more close encounters with the hounds.

She burst into a large clearing, the bright sunlight causing temporary spots to appear in front of her eyes. Emma skidded to a halt in the middle of the clearing and drew her sword, turning to face the direction she'd come from. She didn't have to wait long.

The first frost hound appeared, and paused at the edge of the clearing, obviously reluctant to step into the direct sunlight. It was the size of a small horse, with a coat made up entirely of fine ice crystals. Its eerie glowing blue eyes fixed on her, and the animal snarled. Emma immediately felt the temperature drop, her breath crystallising in the air and forming white puffs. The hound was soon joined by the rest of the pack, and they paced the edge of the clearing.

Ice coated the trees nearest the hounds, the pine needles on the branches freezing over and turning white. A sheet of frost rippled across the grass in the clearing, and Emma shivered. Her thin shirt and jeans were poor protection against the cold. "C'mon, you bastards", she growled. She shifted her stance and the animals tracked her movement.

Emma took a careful step backward, frozen grass blades crunching beneath her boots.

The movement triggered something in the hounds and they surged forward together, bounding towards Emma. Tiny ice crystals started to form on her hands, and along the blade of her sword. She gritted her teeth, as her grip faltered, her fingers going numb with cold.

"Anytime now, Regina".

The hounds were five feet away and closing fast. She braced herself and raised her sword defensively in front of her face. Emma could feel the last of the magic in her blood fade, as everything seemed to slow. The lead hound leapt at her, sunlight glinting on the tiny bits of ice shearing away from its coat. The hound's massive jaws opened wide, revealing a row of vicious teeth that were only inches away from her skin.

"Regina"!

A blaze of magic tingled across Emma's senses, and a ring of flame appeared, centred around Emma. It expanded outwards in a concussive blast wave of superheated air that instantly consumed the frost hounds. They disappeared in an explosion of steam, and instead of vicious teeth ripping into her skin, Emma was deluged with warm water. The ice on the trees and grass disappeared as well, and the clearing reverted to the temperature of a normal summer's day.

Emma slowly lowered her sword and turned around. She glared at the dark haired woman who was making a show of inspecting her fingernails on the other side of the clearing. Regina was in one of her usual blazer and skirt power suit combos, the top two buttons of her red silk blouse unbuttoned, showcasing flawless olive skin. The four inch heels on her black pumps should have been totally impractical, given the fact that they were in the middle of the forest, but Regina made them look effortless.

"Problem, Sheriff Swan?" Regina asked in a bored tone of voice. There was another flare of magic and Emma felt her sword slip out of her grasp and float over to the other woman.

"No, no problem at all", Emma spoke through gritted teeth as she raised her now empty hand and moved wet strands of blonde hair out of her face. Water dripped off her skin, running in thick rivulets down her face and neck. Her clothing was soaked through as well, like she'd been caught in a heavy downpour.

Regina finished repowering the crystals on her sword and floated it back to her. "I expected you to get here sooner. Try not to dawdle, next time."

Emma's mouth opened then closed soundlessly, before she took a deep calming breath. She grabbed the floating sword and sheathed it in a slow deliberate movement. She then turned on her heel and stomped away from the other woman, her boots squelching with each step.

"You're welcome by the way". Regina called after her. A smirk crossed delicate features as the bedraggled blonde stormed away even faster.

* * *

Snow carefully placed the small box she was holding on the desk, before picking up the phone. She dialled the by now familiar number, anxious to share the good news.

"_Sheriff's office."_

Snow felt her lips twitch into an unconscious smile at the familiar gruff tone. "Hey Emma."

"_Hi Snow. Is everything alright?"_ Emma's voice immediately took on an anxious note.

"It's fine, more than fine actually". Snow smiled almost giddily. "Mother Superior just got back to me with the results from the tests on my ring".

A sharp intake of breath carried through the phone line. "_What did she say?"_

"It's good news Emma. The ring has just one enchantment on it. It was a tracking spell designed to find James's true love, in other words me."

"_That's great Snow. I'm so glad to hear that"._ The relief in Emma's voice was obvious. _"Mother Superior is totally sure though right, that it's just a tracking spell?"_

"Yes, she seemed very certain".

"_Ok that's good to hear"._ The sound of another phone ringing in the background, was soon followed by muffled voices. _"Damn, sorry Snow, but I'm going to have to take that. It's been one of those days"._

"No problem Emma. Be safe out there."

"_Always. And Snow, I really am happy to hear that about the ring. We'll catch up later and you can fill me in properly ok."_

"Definitely. Bye Emma". Snow hung up the phone, still smiling widely. She allowed herself one spin in the luxurious leather chair, before picking up the small box and heading out of her office. She'd barely stepped out of the door, when she was lifted off her feet and spun around.

"Snow, I just heard the good news", James smiled widely as he gently set her back down.

Mother Superior nodded at her over his shoulder, a small smile apparent on her face as well.

"Yes it's such a relief." Snow contently leaned against James.

James held her tightly for a long moment, before reluctantly releasing her. He turned to face the nun, slipping an arm around Snow's waist. "Thank you again, Mother Superior. I owe you a debt of gratitude."

"Think nothing of it, your Highness", Mother Superior waved away his words.

"So the ring is designed to find my true love, nothing more?"

"Yes." Mother Superior nodded in acquiescence. "It's a harmless tracking spell and you needn't worry about any ill effects. It's safe to wear the ring" She gestured at the box Snow had in her hand.

Snow smiled and offered the box to James. He took it from her and opened it, taking out her ring. As soon as he touched it, the stone on the ring turned an incandescent white, while emitting a loud buzzing noise.

"Snow GPS is once again up and running", "James said with a grin.

"Snow GPS"? Snow raised an eyebrow. She held out her left hand and James gently slid the ring onto her finger. The light and the noise disappeared and the stone reverted to its usual green colour.

"It's what Emma called it. The ring glowed for her too you know".

"It did?" Snow frowned. "Isn't that a bit odd, considering it's meant to find your true love?

"I think there's been a slight misunderstanding", Mother Superior said. "The tracking spell is not only designed to find your true love, your Highness", she nodded towards James, "but also the true love of anyone from your bloodline".

"Wait, are you telling me when the ring glowed, it was tracking Emma's true love?" James asked incredulously.

"Yes, I believe so", Mother Superior nodded again in confirmation.

Snow and James exchanged looks.

"You don't think she used it do you?" Snow asked slowly.

James hesitated a second before answering. "I don't think so. I think Regina got to it first".

"Right of course", Snow sighed in relief.

"Do you think we should tell her about it?"

Snow winced as she imagined her fiercely independent daughter's reaction to that particular revelation. "Let's not mention this to her just yet. I don't think she'd react well to a ring pointing the way to her true love".

"You're right", James nodded in agreement.

The sound of hurried footsteps made Snow look towards the corridor. Red appeared a moment later, an anxious expression on her face.

"Guys, you'd better come quick. Something's going down at the supermarket".

"Go", Snow took the box off James. "I'll be right behind you." She hurried back into the mayor's office and placed the box in the safe, before rushing off after the others.

* * *

Emma slumped tiredly in her seat as the room erupted into loud arguing. Everyone was on edge due to the latest spree of attacks that had been plaguing the town. Snow had called an emergency council session to discuss their options. The problem was nobody could agree on what was behind the attacks. They seemed totally random, from the dangerous frost hounds that Regina and her had to deal with earlier that day, to mischievous imps curdling all the fresh milk in the supermarket.

The one good thing about the day though, was Snow's news about the ring being harmless. It felt like an invisible weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She hadn't been as worried about being Gold's pawn anymore, after Regina's assurance about the whole true love thing, but there was still the chance that the ring had done something to Snow. She was glad that that fear had been laid to rest.

Her gaze flitted to the woman sitting beside her. Regina looked totally uninterested in the proceedings. She was only present at the council meeting because it was a requirement of the truce she had agreed to with Snow. Regina was obligated to provide assistance on any matters that were magical in nature, and this certainly qualified. It was the first time she'd attended a full council meeting though, and it was obvious that she wasn't impressed.

It was making Emma slightly antsy, having to sit so close to Regina. She'd already caught herself leaning towards the dark haired woman, like she was some kind of magnet. Regina had seemed to sense it and shot her a warning look, but not before she had seen the goosebumps on the other woman's arm. Maybe she wasn't the only one struggling with the attraction after all.

"Regina, do you have anything to say?" Snow asked suddenly.

The room went quiet as everyone focused on the dark haired woman.

Regina's lip curled. "As a matter of fact I do. Given the level of incompetence on display here, it's a wonder you ever managed to mobilise your army to storm my castle."

Snow's jaw clenched. "I don't think I need to remind you, that regardless of our incompetence, we still managed to defeat your army."

Regina smiled one of those terrifyingly bright smiles that never touched her eyes. "Only because you had help, dear." She pointedly did not look in the direction of the Mother Superior.

"Regina, who do you think is behind these attacks?" Emma interrupted hurriedly, as she recognised the telltale signs of an imminent Snow explosion. Regina and Snow in the same room together was a recipe for disaster. They knew exactly how to push each other's buttons.

Regina's eyes narrowed as she looked at the blonde, obviously recognising her attempt at keeping the peace.

Emma tilted her head, keeping her expression carefully neutral. "Oh sorry, am I putting you on the spot?"

"Of course not, Sheriff". Regina said coldly. Her gaze raked across the room, and most people around the table looked away. Regina allowed a satisfied smirk to settle on her face. "All the incidents have one thing in common, the creatures that are involved are not of this world".

Emma frowned. "Yeah that's kind of obvious. So what, someone's got a secret stash of magical creatures and is releasing them from somewhere?"

Regina shook her head "No, the curse was designed to only transport people to this world. Everything else remained behind. For magical creatures to appear here now, it can mean only one thing. Someone is bringing them here from other lands".

"What like dial a dragon, direct from fairytale land?"

Regina rolled her eyes at Emma's turn of phrase. "Yes", she answered shortly.

"I thought you said that our homeland doesn't exist anymore", Snow interjected accusingly.

"It doesn't". Regina snapped back.

"Then how are creatures from there showing up in this world?"

The answer came from a surprising source. "A hatter", Mother Superior said softly as she steepled her fingers.

Regina nodded stiffly. "Yes, a hatter has the ability to reach through both time and space".

Emma drew a breath. "Jefferson"

"Indeed. It's unlikely that he's working alone though." Regina fixed her gaze on the table. "He's not native to our land, so he doesn't have the requisite knowledge on exactly where and when to find his targets".

"I can really only think of one person outside of this room, who does have that kind of knowledge" Snow's lips compressed into a grim line. "Gold".

Regina inclined her head in agreement.

The room once again erupted into loud argument.

Emma would never forget Gold's betrayal with the egg, as it had nearly cost Henry his life. Learning that he was the architect of the curse had only increased her distrust of the man. After the curse had broken, one of her first priorities had been to find Gold, but he had seemingly disappeared off the radar. Apart from the booby traps on his shop, there'd been no sign of any activity from him, magical or otherwise. She hadn't dropped her guard though. Gold had proven to be a meticulous planner, with a great deal of patience, and only a fool would think that he was out of the picture. She could easily believe that he was the mastermind behind the latest attacks.

Regina had resumed her disinterested expression, but Emma, who was sitting beside her, could see a telltale trace of worry shade brown eyes.

"So what, we go after Gold?" Emma lowered her voice, trying to keep their conversation private.

Regina's gaze flicked to her and she hesitated for a moment, before answering just as quietly. "No, I don't think that would be a good idea", she said. Delicate fingers reached out to trace restless patterns on the table. "A direct confrontation with Gold at this stage would likely go badly for us. There are too many unknowns, especially given how unpredictable magic is in this world."

Emma nodded. "Alright if Gold is out, that just leaves Jefferson. We stop him and Gold loses his access to other worlds."

"Yes", Regina's expression hardened. "And I know just the way to get to him".

* * *

Emma rang the doorbell of the small house, and awkwardly adjusted her grip on the stuffed white rabbit she was holding. Regina had insisted she take the toy as a gift for Paige.

A tired looking woman, wearing a nurse's uniform opened the door. She looked to be in her late thirties, with kind blue eyes and deep laugh lines around mouth. "Your Hi..I mean Sheriff Swan, what can I do for you?"

Emma smiled awkwardly. "Hello Mrs Cooke. Sorry to bother you so early in the morning, but do you mind if I come in?"

"Oh, of course", the woman said immediately. She opened the door wider and gestured for Emma to enter. "And please, call me Elizabeth".

"Thank you, Elizabeth". Emma trailed the woman into a small lounge area. The house looked well lived in, with the everyday clutter of family life obvious in the things scattered around. The smell of baking bread added an extra layer of homeliness to the place.

"Please take a seat. Can I offer you something to drink?"

"No thank you." Emma sat down on the sofa and Elizabeth took one of the chairs opposite her.

The woman smothered a yawn as she sat down. "I'm sorry, I only just got in myself. It was a long night at the hospital. I'm sure the Sheriffs department has been just as busy".

"Yes it's certainly been an interesting couple of days in Storybrooke". Emma nodded in agreement. She shifted in her seat, unsure about how to proceed. She was here because of Jefferson. After much debate, the council had agreed to focus on him, instead of Gold. Emma had been careful to ensure that she'd been the one to float the idea. If they'd known that Regina was behind the plan, they would likely still be debating it now.

There was an awkward silence until Elizabeth's eyes lit on the stuffed rabbit.

"Is that for Paige?" She gestured at the toy.

"Yes it is". Emma carefully set the rabbit down on the coffee table.

"She's already left for school, but she'll be so excited when she sees it. Rabbits are her favourite animal". Elizabeth's gaze lingered on the toy for a few seconds, before she looked Emma in the eye. "This is about Jefferson isn't it?" she said quietly.

Emma took a deep breath. "Yes it is".

Elizabeth reached out and picked up the rabbit. "Jefferson is a good man, Sheriff Swan. It's just that the curse has made things very difficult for all of us." She gently stroked the soft fur on the toy's back. "We have all these memories of Paige as our daughter, not just the memories, but the feelings behind them as well. Those memories and emotions didn't just disappear when the curse broke." She raised her head and met Emma's gaze. "Paige is still our daughter, but she's also Jefferson's child."

"I understand, believe me I do".

Elizabeth studied her for a long moment. "Yes I believe you do. So how can I help you Sheriff?"

* * *

Emma unlocked the door to her apartment, rubbing tiredly at her eyes. It had been another busy day of dealing with magical creature induced mayhem. Luckily the incidents had all been more annoying than life threatening, but it had still made for a long and exhausting day, especially given her early start to fit in the visit with Elizabeth Cooke. She was looking forward to a nice hot shower and some time to herself to decompress, before she headed to the Mills mansion for dinner.

"Would you care for some tea, Sheriff Swan?"

Emma froze in the doorway as she took in the man wearing a top hat, sitting calmly at her kitchen counter, sipping at a cup. "Jefferson", she growled and immediately drew her sword.

"No? Pity. That would have made this so much easier." Jefferson stood up and in one smooth motion flung the hat at her feet. The hat started rotating as soon as it hit the ground, a purple vortex forming in the air. Emma didn't even have time to suck in a breath, before she was pulled into it.

Jefferson took another sip of his tea, before carefully placing the cup down on the counter and calmly walking into the vortex as well.

* * *

The sound and smell of the sea and the cold biting wind of the offshore breeze, were the first things she became aware of. Emma groaned and tried to raise her hand to her aching head, only to meet resistance. She opened her eyes and blinked rapidly, tendrils of fear crawling up her spine. She was handcuffed to the park bench in front of the playground that used to hold Henry's castle.

"Finally. I thought you were going to sleep the afternoon away".

Emma's eyes snapped to the man standing a few feet away from her. Her stomach dropped and she tasted bile as she saw her sword in his hand. Without actually physical contact with her sword, she couldn't draw on the gems to power her abilities.

"Let me go, you crazy bastard", Emma growled defiantly, tugging ineffectually at the cuffs.

"Now there's no need for that Sheriff." Jefferson smiled disarmingly at her. "After all a little rabbit told me that you're the one who wanted to meet with me".

Emma took a breath, forcing herself to calm down. "What do you want Jefferson?"

The smile instantly slipped of his face. "What I want is my daughter back", he yelled, his face turning red and spit spraying from his mouth. He took a couple of steps towards her then stopped. "But I don't think you can give me that, so I'm settling for the next best thing". Jefferson's expression became cold and hard. "Revenge".

He reached for his hat again and threw it at the ground, and it started to spin rapidly. The purple vortex opened up again, and Emma raised her uncuffed hand, trying to shield her face from the violent wind whipping the air.

"What are you doing?" Emma asked, her eyes wide with fear.

"I'm fetching a little something for you to play with Sheriff. I'm sure it will be fun for the whole _family_." Jefferson smiled maniacally at her. "Seeing as I'm not entirely _heartless_," he spat out the word heartless, "I'm even going to let you have your sword back. Not that it will make a difference." He reached into his pocket and held up a familiar swan keyring.

"Catch Sheriff". Jefferson threw the keys in her direction and they landed at her feet. Emma scrabbled for them and when she looked up again, Jefferson was gone. She hurriedly unlocked the cuffs and rushed over to pick up her sword.

The vortex was still spinning and it was now the height of the town hall. Emma slowly backed away from it as she saw a black shadow flickering in the purple haze.

She reached into her pocket and took out her phone. "You need to get here now".

* * *

The dragon towered over the abandoned playground, black scales gleaming in the afternoon sun. It had a strange fishlike head, with catfish whiskers, and a mouth full of multiple rows of vicious teeth. While its face was vaguely fishlike, the rest of its body was all dragon. The three wickedly sharp claws on each of its four legs, dug deep gouges into the ground beneath the beast, and a long barbed tail lashed the air behind it.

"We need to keep it here. We can't afford for it to get into a populated area", James said urgently from beside her. He had his sword drawn and hadn't taken his eyes of the dragon. Snow was on Emma's other side, her bow clutched tightly in one hand. Fortunately it had taken some time for the dragon to clear the vortex and fully enter Storybrooke, so it had enabled them to setup a rudimentary defence.

"No, we can't". Emma said grimly. She glanced over her shoulder to see several deputies ushering people away. Several more were setting up a cordon further back, ensuring nobody else got into the area. Luckily Jefferson had chosen to summon the dragon at the site that used to house Henry's castle. The area had been pretty much abandoned after the castle had been demolished, so they didn't have to worry about mass casualties as long as they kept the dragon there.

Snow reached into the quiver slung over her shoulder, and notched an arrow. "You guys see what damage you can do up close. I'll try and keep its attention on me".

"Alright, I'll take left". Emma drew her sword.

James nodded and headed right.

Emma took a breath and the air warped around her, magic fizzing in her blood. She blurred towards the dragon, and it raised its front claw in reaction. An arrow smacked into the claw, as Emma easily ducked under the limb. She held the sword out sideways, slashing along the side of the dragon's body as she blurred past. Her blade ripped through the scales without any resistance, opening up a long gash in the beast's side. Emma felt a moment of triumph, until she saw black smoke leaking out of the tear. It began to seal almost instantly in front of her disbelieving eyes. By the time she'd reached the dragon's tail, the slash was fully healed, like it hadn't even happened. She could see James stabbing at its front leg, but once again the injury leaked black smoke and it healed up.

The dragon roared and spun towards her. Unfortunately the movement brought its tail directly at James.

Get back", Emma yelled as she saw the barbed tail slice though the air at speed.

James cursed and tried to get out of the way, but was too slow. The tail clipped his shoulder and knocked him into the air. He landed heavily and lay dazed on the ground.

"James!" Snow cried out in fear.

A gentle flare of magic brushed against her senses, and a glowing rain of blue dust suddenly appeared over the dragon, immobilising it. She could see the Mother Superior standing with her arms outstretched behind the beast.

Emma sheathed her sword and blurred towards James, who was moving sluggishly. She slung him over her shoulder and raced away from the dragon, towards the security cordon. She gently laid James down on the ground. "I need some help here".

"I got him", Nova appeared beside her, her hands already glowing pink. Emma breathed a sigh of relief as she saw colour start to return to James's pale features. Luckily his padded vest seemed to have protected him from the barbs on the tail.

"James"! Snow knelt on the ground and cradled his head in her lap.

There was another ear shattering roar and Emma glanced over her shoulder. The dragon was shaking of the effects of the dust and was starting to move sluggishly.

"That should have held it for a lot longer". Mother Superior had a shocked look on her face.

"You're lucky it even worked at all", a familiar voice said grimly.

Emma turned her head, the tense set of her shoulders unconsciously loosening as the familiar hum of Regina's magic sparked across her senses.

The dark haired woman had her eyes fixed on the dragon. "Considering that that's a Jabberwocky".

"Jabberwocky, as in Alice in Wonderland?" Emma asked, her own eyes wide.

"Stay here and do not interfere". Regina said coldly, ignoring her question. She waited for Emma's nod of agreement, before she started walking towards the beast. The dragon roared again and turned in her direction and Emma tensed, her fists clenched in worry. She stayed put though, trusting that Regina knew what she was doing.

Regina came to a halt directly in front of the dragon and said something in a language Emma couldn't understand. The Jabberwocky bent its head to consider her, and a forked tongue slid out, tasting the air inches away from Regina's face. Regina stood very still, her back ramrod straight, her posture every inch a queen. After a long moment, the dragon lowered the front of its body in a crude approximation of a bow, before laying down fully on the ground.

Regina turned on her heel and headed back towards Emma.

"What did you do? Is it neutralised?" Emma asked urgently.

"No". Regina snapped in response. "All I've done is bought us some time".

Emma sucked in her breath as she noted the grim set to Regina's features. Something was obviously wrong. "Ok, so what do we do?"

"You don't understand". Regina tore her gaze away from the creature and looked at Emma. "That's a Jabberwocky. The only thing that can defeat it is a champion".

"That would be me", James said as he struggled to his feet. His colour was a lot better, but he was still carrying himself gingerly. "Snow's a queen, and I'm her champion."

Snow shot him a concerned look. "James are you sure you're up to this?"

"I'm fine Snow". James smiled reassuringly at her. "It just winded me".

Regina's lip curled. "The Jabberwocky will only recognise a champion sanctioned by the royal blood of Wonderland. But you're welcome to try to get it to acknowledge you, like I just did." The derisive look she gave Snow spoke volumes on what her chances would be.

Snow's jaw set. "So you expect us to believe that you're a queen in Wonderland too?"

"No". Regina said icily. "I said it recognises royal blood".

Emma waited for her to elaborate, but there was only stony silence. She cleared her throat. "Ok then. So the Jabberwocky's obviously recognised that you are royalty. Make me your champion. Problem solved."

"No"! Both Snow and Regina answered at the same time. They both looked at each other in surprise, before looking away again almost instantly.

Regina took a breath and shot her an undecipherable look. "You have no idea what you're asking for, Ms Swan. There are consequences to being a champion".

"I don't care about the consequences. If that thing gets past us, it's going to destroy Storybrooke." Emma waved her hand in the direction of the dragon. "Do you really want to trust the safety of our son to someone else?"

Regina was still for a long moment, the conflict obvious on her face. She looked back and forth between the Jabberwocky and Emma, before drawing a deep breath. "Fine. Kneel and give me your sword."

"Emma", Snow began softly.

"I'm doing this Snow", Emma cut her off firmly. She handed Regina her sword and dropped to one knee.

Regina planted the sword point first into the ground and met Emma's eyes. The world seemed to fade around them, the background fading into monochrome and sounds becoming muted.

"Emma Swan, do you agree to serve as my champion"? Regina's hair stirred in an invisible wind and the steadily increasing hum of her magic crackled across Emma's senses.

"I do". Emma said firmly, her gaze locked on dark eyes. She ruthlessly tamped down on her natural reaction to the other woman's magic.

Regina closed her right hand over the blade of the sword, her jaw clenching as it cut into her skin. A thin stream of red tricked down the sword. She nodded at Emma to do the same. Emma gripped the side of the blade opposite to Regina's hand, her fingers pressing against the other woman's, and winced as it cut into her palm. Regina opened her hand slightly, pushing Emma's away from the blade, before lacing their fingers together tightly, so that there palms were pressed against each other.

Regina's magic flared so brightly that it felt like small sun was igniting Emma's senses. There was a flash of light and a ripple of air expanded outwards, blowing their hair backwards. The sword glowed brightly between their entwined hands, and Emma had to turn her head away at the intensity of the glow.

When the glow finally faded, Emma felt a strange tugging in her chest. It was like a line connecting her directly to Regina. She absently raised her free hand and rubbed at her chest lightly, while blinking rapidly to get rid of the spots in front of her eyes.

Emma's gaze dropped to her sword and she gasped. The blade had changed into a silvery white metal, and the hilt and crossguard were now a solid black. The three gems had changed shape and looked almost like red hearts embedded in the hilt, except the bottom of the gems were rounded, rather than pointed.

"The Vorpal blade", Regina said softly. "The only weapon with the power to defeat the Jabberwocky." She released Emma's hand and stepped back. "It can only be wielded by a champion of Wonderland". She swayed suddenly and put her hand to her head.

Emma immediately let go of the sword and surged to her feet. She grabbed Regina's waist and pulled the other woman against her, in an effort to steady her. Soft hair brushed against her throat as Regina leant into Emma, her hands gripping the blonde's jacket lightly.

"Are you alright Regina?" She frowned as she noted that magic glow around the other woman had dimmed significantly.

"I'm fine". Regina released her grip on Emma's jacket and gently pushed her away. "Creating the Vorpal blade drained a bit more of my power than I expected.

"Creating it?"

"Yes, the blade has to be created anew and is unique to each champion". Regina said tiredly, brushing away the strands of dark hair that had fallen into her eyes.

"Ok", Emma rubbed at her chest again. The curious tugging sensation was really starting to bug her.

Brown eyes skewered Emma with that same indecipherable look from earlier. "I warned you Ms Swan, that there would be consequences".

"What"? Emma asked in bewilderment.

Regina closed her eyes and sighed. "I believe you have a fight to prepare for."

As if on cue, the Jabberwocky roared behind them.

* * *

TBC

_Well this chapter took a bit longer than usual to get out, but I blame the awesome season 2 OUAT premiere for distracting me. It did give me some new ideas, but I had already planned to have Jefferson's hat in this chapter anyway. The chapter is actually a homage to Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland movie, as I absolutely adored the fact that Alice was Mirana's champion. I've obviously modified it slightly to fit the OUAT universe of course. It's also my first try at writing proper action sequences, so would really appreciate feedback._

_Also in answer to DA, Emma's abilities are powered by her absorbing magic. She has to be in physical contact with the source though, so the gems in the sword the Regina helpfully keeps filling up for her, is pretty much key to her powers.  
_

_Thanks as always for all the wonderful reviews, favourites and follows. They really do motivate me to keep writing._


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. No profit is being made.**

* * *

Henry Mills carefully listened at the door, and smiled when the sound of soft voices were suddenly overridden by the television. Abigail had bought his excuse about needing to finish his homework, so he had at least half an hour before she would interrupt him by bringing him some snacks. He wasted no time moving to the window and pushing it open. The window was on the ground floor, so it was going to be easy to make his escape.

He was tired of being left behind while his mom and Emma got to do all the cool stuff. He was the reason the curse broke after all, and it wasn't fair that he was always left out whenever anything exciting happened. His mom had refused to tell him what she'd gone off to do, but Henry knew it was something big, given by how closed off she'd been when she was driving him over to Abigail's.

The whole afternoon had been a bit strange, even by Storybrooke standards. It had started off normally enough. Emma had walked him home after school, and her and his mom did their usual thing at the door, which was arguing about whatever the topic of that particular day happened to be. He never could figure out why his mom always answered the door instead of letting him use his key. It's not like he wasn't capable of unlocking the door for himself. Emma, for her part, didn't need to walk him all the way to the door either. Once he crossed over the wards around the house, he was pretty much safe as his mom's magic would protect him. He'd tried pointing that out to her once, but she'd just shrugged and continued to walk him right to the door. Adults were rather strange at times.

He'd left them to it knowing that he would see Emma at dinner later, regardless of the outcome of their argument. Everything had continued on as normal, with Henry doing his homework and his mom starting on dinner preparations. It wasn't until they had sat down together to go over his completed homework, that things started getting weird. His mom had been checking it over like she always did, when she'd just stopped mid sentence and stared off in the distance. Henry had actually had to call out to her to break her out of it, and she'd smiled at him and carried on like nothing had happened. After that though, she'd been tense and distracted, up until her phone had rung. It was odd, but his mom seemed to relax instantly when she answered the call, well for a second anyway, then she got really tense again. He was just glad he'd been in the room, since it meant that he was close enough to overhear her mention his castle. That was definitely going to make it easier, knowing where to go.

He did feel a little bad about deceiving Abigail and Frederick though. They were always really nice to him and Abigail made awesome chocolate chip cookies. Henry picked up his backpack and with a final guilty glance behind him, snuck out the window.

* * *

Emma's hand dropped from her chest as she spun around to see that the Jabberwocky was no longer lying down. It pawed the ground with its front claws, before flapping its wings and rearing up on its hind legs. Emma felt magic building in the air and she gritted her teeth. It felt like something was tearing against her magical senses, like sandpaper on skin. The feeling suddenly intensified and she shut her eyes, grabbing at her head in pain. A soft hand covered Emma's, familiar magic washing over her. The onslaught on her senses abruptly cut off.

"Thanks". Emma opened her eyes and looked gratefully at Regina.

"Believe me that was as much for my benefit as it was for yours". Regina released her hand and rubbed at her own temple.

"You could feel its magic?" Emma didn't think that Regina could sense magic the way she could.

"Not exactly". Regina answered distractedly. Her attention was focused on the Jabberwocky. A strange black smoky distortion, was slowly spreading over the dragon's armoured hide.

"What's happening?" Emma's eyes widened as she took in the change. The distortion looked like black smoke, but it had a weird wrongness to it that made it look like it was out of focus.

Regina's lips set in a thin line. "The Jabberwocky is adapting to you being my champion."

"And that means what exactly?"

"It's gaining something that's specific to countering your particular abilities." Regina said grimly. "You won't be able to tell what it is until you actually engage it."

"Great". Emma ran a hand through her hair. "So it's a freaking Borg?"

Regina looked at her blankly.

"You know from Star Trek?" Emma dropped the pitch of her voice and spoke in a monotone. "Resistance is futile".

Regina continued to stare at her blankly, a trace of impatience colouring her features.

"Seriously?" Emma threw her hands up in the air. "Never mind. It's probably for the best anyway. Wouldn't want you picking up tips from the Borg Queen."

"If you're quite done ranting, Ms Swan?" Regina folded her arms irritably. "I believe there are pressing matters that require your attention".

"Right. Borg dragon to fight." Emma started shrugging out of her jacket. "Anything else I should be looking out for?"

"Try to stay out of its breath. It's meant to be rather unpleasant".

"Avoid breath. Check".

Emma made to hand Regina her jacket and changed her mind when the dark haired woman shot her an incredulous look. She held it out to Snow instead. "You mind holding on to this for me please?"

"Sure Emma." Snow took the jacket from her and held it against her chest.

Regina raised an eyebrow as she deliberately swept her eyes over Emma's thin white tank top and her now bare arms.

"What? That jacket is real goatskin and cost $1400." Emma enjoyed the look of shocked surprise that flashed briefly in dark eyes. "I'm not risking it fighting a fire breathing dragon".

There was another roar from the Jabberwocky, and Emma instantly sobered. The black smoky distortion now completely covered its entire body. She strode over to her newly made sword and swung it a couple of times, testing it out. The sword felt perfectly balanced and Emma was impressed.

"Time to get this show started."

"Be careful Emma", Snow said softly. She had a white knuckled grip on Emma's jacket.

"Aim for the neck." James said as he wrapped a comforting arm around Snow's waist. "It's usually the weak spot."

"Right. Thanks for the tip".

That peculiar tugging feeling in her chest made itself known again and Emma met inscrutable dark eyes. Regina blinked slowly, and Emma felt warmth spread through her chest, her nervousness disappearing. She took a breath, and the air warped around her, magic fizzing in her blood.

Emma charged the Jabberwocky.

She blurred towards its back leg and swung her sword at the juncture where the leg met the dragon's body. Her sword did not sink into the dragon's flesh as she expected. Instead it seemed to hit a brittle obstruction that splintered under her blade, sending bits of black dust shearing off into the air. The black smoky layer covering the dragon boiled out from the wound and spread rapidly down her sword, completely covering it in less than a second. As the smoke came into contact with Emma's hands, pain instantly sparked along her nerve endings. It felt like the magic was being sucked right out of her skin. The network of veins on the back of her hands distended and turned black, and the taint started spreading down her wrist.

Emma gasped and wrenched the sword away. Her limbs felt heavy and weak and she realised that most of the magic in her blood had been drained. She stumbled away, her sword trailing bits of black smoke and was shocked to note that there was only one lit gem left on it.

The Jabberwocky twisted its head towards her, its jaws snapping, but she was out of reach. It started to turn its body, flapping its wings for balance. Emma was still too close to it and the wing clipped her, tossing her sideways into the air. She drained the last gem and tried to control her tumbling body, but her flight came to an abrupt end when she slammed hard into a nearby container. She bounced off and slid bonelessly to the ground.

Emma groaned and rolled over, forcing herself onto her knees. She leaned heavily on her sword. The black taint in the veins on her hands faded away, and her skin returned to normal. Her left side had taken the brunt of the impact and she knew she'd have bruises at the very least. She pushed to her feet, using the side of the container and her sword to brace herself. She gingerly straightened up, and was surprised when she could move freely without any noticeable pain.

A strange sense of urgency jolted through her and she looked up to see that the Jabberwocky had turned to face her. It lowered its head and pawed at the ground. She could feel magic gathering in the air, tearing at her senses like greedy claws. The Jabberwocky opened its jaws and a black ball of energy began to form inside its mouth.

"That can't be good".

There was a terrible sound of metal screaming and the Jabberwocky launched a stream of black flames at her. She blurred out of the way. The flames slammed into the container she had been in front of, and it started to disintegrate. The metal simply began to crumble into dust, as the black flames sheared through like acid.

Emma blurred back towards the others. She appeared beside Regina in a woosh of displaced air. "You guys need to get further back. That breath has a huge range."

James nodded and immediately headed back towards the security cordon, with a reluctant looking Snow in tow.

"Sword, Ms Swan". Regina held her hand out and Emma automatically handed it over.

She didn't take her eyes of the slowly disintegrating container. Bits of debris were flying off from the leading edge of the flames, leaving trails of dust in the air. The sound was horrific, like metal ripping and tearing under stress, and a third of the container had already been consumed. "That's not your average dragon fire".

"It's chaos magic", Regina said tightly as she started refilling the gems on the sword. "The flames are literally annihilating any matter they come into contact with".

"That's just great". Emma felt the familiar pull of Regina's magic and her eyes were automatically drawn to the other woman. She frowned as she noted the magical glow around her was now a lot dimmer than normal.

"Are you ok?"

"Yes", Regina answered shortly. She finished refilling the empty gems and handed the sword back. "Try not to allow this fight to drag on, Ms Swan. I don't have an infinite store of magic".

"I'll do my best".

Emma didn't know quite how she was going to manage that at this stage. She couldn't touch the dragon without its aura power draining both her and her sword. The only good thing if you could call it that, was that the Jabberwocky hadn't attempted in the slightest to compensate for her moving out of the breath. It seemed locked into the direction it was facing when it started breathing.

The terrible screaming noise stopped as the flames cut off. The entire front half of the container had been sheared off, and the edges continued to crumble into dust. The dragon immediately spun back towards her.

"You might want to move further back as well". Emma didn't wait to see if Regina followed her advice. She sucked in a breath and drained a gem.

She blurred forward again. Emma decided to go for a repeat of her original attack with James, hoping that if she was fast enough, she could maybe cause enough damage to dissipate the draining aura around the dragon. She held her sword out sideways and slashed at the dragon's right side as she blurred past. Her sword hit that brittle obstruction again, shearing through it, causing the black smoky distortion to boil out. She could feel the drain on her magic. Her hands were burning, the veins turning black and spreading rapidly down her arms. Only a couple of seconds had gone by, but Emma could already feel herself starting to slow. The Jabberwocky began to turn, responding to the initial slash on its right side.

Emma had already rounded the dragon's tail and started slashing down the other side. She felt the magic in her blood fizzle out, and immediately attempted to draw on another gem, only to come up empty. She stumbled to a halt and ripped her sword away, staring in horror at the three completely drained gems. Her arms had spidery black lines stretching all the way to her elbows.

There was another sudden spike of urgency, and Emma looked up to see the Jabberwocky's tail heading straight for her. She struggled to dodge out of the way, but her limbs felt like lead. The tail smacked into her chest and catapulted her into the air. She lost her grip on her sword as she went flying backwards and smashed into the ground, several feet away. Emma lay on her back, winded from the impact. She gasped for breath, trying to clear her head.

"_Get up, Ms Swan"._

Emma could hear Regina's voice as clear as day. There was tingling feeling in her chest and Emma could suddenly breath properly again. She dug her fingers into the ground and forced herself to sit up.

Regina was still standing where she'd left her, with her hand outstretched. There was a flash of purple smoke and Emma's sword appeared in Regina's hand. The dark haired woman swayed slightly and caught herself. She began to pour her magic into the sword.

The Jabberwocky had turned back to face Emma, and she struggled to her knees. If it decided to breathe in her direction, she was pretty much done for.

An arrow slammed into the side of the dragon. The Jabberwocky snorted and swung its head away from Emma to look over its shoulder. Snow was already notching another arrow. She let fly again, nailing the dragon just under the eye. Black smoke covered the arrow and it disintegrated into dust.

"Hey, get away from her", a small voice suddenly piped up. A rock skittered along the ground, falling well short of the dragon.

Horror froze Emma in place, as she saw Henry scramble out from behind one of the undamaged containers. He launched another rock and it smacked into a piece of metal debris with a loud clang. That seemed to push the Jabberwocky over the edge. It roared and spun in Henry's direction.

_No._

An avalanche of mind numbing fear cascaded through her, and Emma forced herself upright, willing her feet to move. The Jabberwocky lowered its head and opened its mouth, black energy forming between its jaws.

"Henry, no!" Regina's cry was desperate. She dropped Emma's sword and disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

* * *

Henry turned to run, but tripped. He sprawled on the ground, the impact jarring his backpack from his grip. He scrambled quickly to his feet as he saw the dragon open its mouth, a ball of black energy crackling between its jaws. There was a screeching noise, like metal tearing, and that ball of energy became a jet of black flame headed directly for him. He froze in panic. There was an explosion of purple smoke and then his mom was there. She wrapped him up in her arms, placing herself between him and the dragon. He clung onto her blazer and squeezed his eyes shut.

The terrible sound of metal screaming surrounded them, and his mom made a strange breathless noise. Henry opened his eyes cautiously to see sheets of black flame bending around to either side of him. He flinched as his backpack, which was only a couple of feet away to the left of his foot, simply disintegrated as the flames passed over it. It crumbled to dust in a matter of seconds. His mom made another gasping sound, and he looked up at her. She had her head turned looking back over her shoulder at the dragon, with her right arm held out behind her. A purple energy shield glowed in the air in front of her palm, and it was that shield that was deflecting the dragon's breath around them.

The shield was flickering though, as black energy screamed against it. Her magic was fading. He could see the edges of the cuff on his mom's jacket sleeve, just below the shield, start to disintegrate. She never flinched, but he felt the arm she had around him tighten.

"Mom", he whispered softly, his voice shaking.

"It's going to be okay Henry". Her jaw set and the shield started to take on a streaky purple overtone. Henry gasped as he saw a drop of red trickle from her nose. The bottom edge of her blazer on her right side started to crumble, revealing the blue silk blouse underneath it. Henry gripped the arm around him tighter, as the fabric of her blouse began to disintegrate. Fear choked him as he realised that his mom was going to get hurt because of him.

The terrible scream of the flames suddenly cut off and the black energy disappeared with it. The dragon shook its head from side to side, its front claws flexing and digging deep gouges into the ground.

His mom drew a shuddering breath, and lowered her arm, the purple shield flickering out completely. The right bottom half of her blazer was shredded, and the cuff on one of her sleeves was only hanging on by a couple of threads. "Henry, go". She released her grip on Henry and pushed him away gently.

Henry took a couple of steps away from her, then realised she wasn't following. He turned just in time to see her sink to her knees.

"Mom"! Henry rushed back to her. The ground shook, making him stumble and he realised that the dragon was moving towards them.

"Henry no, you need to get out of here". She cast a desperate look over her shoulder at the dragon. She put one hand on the ground and struggled to push herself up

"I'm not leaving you". Henry tugged on her arm trying to help her to her feet, but it was no use. Her arm gave out and she nearly dragged him down with her as she sank back to her knees.

"Henry".. She gave a strange gasping sob and clenched her fists. Wisps of purple smoke flickered weakly around him, and then his mom pitched forward and lay still on the ground.

"Mom, no"! Henry cried as he shook her.

* * *

Emma put a hand to her chest, hunching over at the strange feeling of emptiness there. Regina wasn't moving, and the usual vibrant magic aura that surrounded her was gone completely. It was like she didn't exist on Emma's radar. Something shifted inside Emma, rage replacing the mind numbing fear.

She took the last few steps separating her from her sword and her hand closed around the hilt. The air around her warped, magic fizzing in her blood as the glow around the single lit gem on her sword faded away.

Emma's lips drew back into a snarl and she charged the Jabberwocky. She blurred past Regina and Henry and ducked under a swinging claw, putting her up close and personal to the beast. She dropped her sword and slammed both palms against the dragon's chest. Black lines instantly crept down her wrists, as the magic rapidly leeched out of her blood. She concentrated on her hands, completely encased by the Jabberwocky's crippling aura. Emma inhaled and pulled on the magic.

Agonising pain sparked along her skin, but she could feel magic rush into her veins. She raised her head and growled as she pulled harder, feeling the draining aura weakening. Her hands burned, like they were being dipped in acid and she bit down hard on her lip, tasting blood. Black smoke spread up her arms, obscuring the skin beneath it. The smoke spread rapidly up her arms and across her shoulders, and continued downwards over her chest, until it completely covered her torso and legs.

The Jabberwocky roared and reared back from her, its wings flapping wildly as it rose into the air. Emma suddenly found herself airborne, thrown back by the force of the wing buffet. Magic fizzed in her blood allowing her to control her descent. She skidded backwards as she landed, her feet leaving furrows in the ground. She straightened slowly, her eyes never leaving the Jabberwocky as it touched down on an undamaged container further down the docks. The smoky distortion around its body was all but gone.

She wasn't going to give it a chance to recover.

Emma blurred to her sword and picked it up, her eyes skittering over the black smoky distortion covering her hand. She heard a soft groan behind her and a tiny spark of familiar energy tingled across her senses. The knot in her chest loosened slightly.

Emma blurred forward until she was directly opposite the Jabberwocky. The dragon's mouth opened, a ball of black energy forming in its jaws. Black smoke spread up her neck and face and her vision misted for a brief moment, before clearing. She blinked a couple of times, letting her eyes adjust.

The Jabberwocky roared releasing a burst of black flame directly at her. There was a sharp spike of panicked fear, that was distinctly not her own.

Emma tightened her grip on her sword and calmly stepped into the breath. The smoky distortion layer covering her skin immediately began to shear off into black dust. She blurred forward.

The sound of screaming metal was horrifically loud in her ears, and it was like moving against strong wind. She could feel the magic in her blood leeching out, as the black smoke covering her continued to tear off, exposing patches of her clothing to the dragon's breath. She leapt up into the air and drove her sword upwards, straight underneath the Jabberwocky's open jaw. Her sword pierced through the bottom of the dragon's jaw, and the flames abruptly cut off. For a frozen moment, Emma hung suspended in midair beneath the head of the Jabberwocky, and then she let go of the sword.

She landed hard, dropping to one knee and placing her palm flat on the ground to absorb the impact. The tattered remains of the black smoky aura around her faded away completely.

The Jabberwocky shook its head, trying to dislodge the blade that was buried hilt deep in its head. Cracks started appearing in the area around the sword, and spread rapidly, until they were crisscrossing the Jabberwocky's entire body. Black smoke poured out from the cracks and the outline of the dragon started to lose its definition. There was a woosh of displaced air, and from one breath to the next, the Jabberwocky imploded into a cloud of black dust. With nothing holding it up, Emma's sword came crashing down to land point first in the ground.

"You did it", Regina's voice was raspy and weak, but hearing it sent a surge of relief through Emma. The emptiness in her chest was gone, replaced by that odd tugging sensation.

Emma quickly got to her feet and turned around. Regina was sitting up, with Henry hovering anxiously at her shoulder. She looked pale and exhausted, her magic barely a flicker against Emma's senses. She blurred over to them and lifted Regina into her arms without saying a single word.

"Ms Swan!" Regina's voice rose an octave in outrage. She clutched at Emma's shoulders, her nails digging into bare skin.

Emma just looked at her and something in her expression made Regina's mouth snap shut. After a moment's hesitation, she gingerly wound her arms around the blonde's neck.

"Henry, are you alright?' Emma asked as she adjusted her grip on Regina, settling her more comfortably against her chest. She could feel her enhanced strength starting to fade.

Henry nodded. "I'm ok".

"Good". Emma started walking towards the security cordon. Snow and James were already rushing towards them.

"Emma are you ok?" Snow skidded to a halt in front of Emma. She looked like she wanted to physically check Emma for injuries, but the fact that the blonde was carrying Regina made that impossible. Snow settled for frantically looked her over with eyes.

"I'm fine". Emma brushed off her concern. Her eyes focused on Nova who had just arrived. "Help her please."

Nova hesitated a second, but when Regina made no sign of protesting, she extended her glowing pink hands over the dark haired woman. She pulled her hands back after a moment. "She'll be ok. It's just power burnout. Nothing that won't be cured with a little rest."

Emma released a breath that she'd been unaware she'd been holding. The last of the magic in her blood faded away, leaving a slight burn in her arm muscles as she supported Regina's weight without her enhanced strength.

"Would you kindly set me down now, Ms Swan". Regina said calmly, her voice taking on its usual note of command. "I am perfectly able to stand on my own. Plus I believe it's your turn to be subjected to _fairy magic_". The last two words were distinctly derisive.

Emma frowned, but did as Regina requested, gently lowering her to her feet. "I said I'm fine. There's no need for a magical check up". She kept her hands braced on Regina's waist as the other woman cautiously straightened.

"Oh really?" Regina deliberately looked Emma up and down as she released the death grip she had on Emma's shoulders. "The state of your clothing seems to indicate otherwise."

Emma followed her gaze downwards and her eyes widened. Her tank top was hanging off her in shreds, and there was rips and tears all down the legs of her jeans. Fortunately her bra seemed to have been protected by the material of her top, so she wasn't giving everyone a free show.

Regina reached out and brushed at the shredded material on her torso. Both of them flinched as the cloth instantly crumbled to dust, leaving Regina's palm pressed against warm bare skin.

"Emma, let Nova check you out. Please", Snow's voice was pleading as she held out Emma's jacket.

Regina withdrew her hand, like she'd been burned. "I think that might be a good idea, Ms Swan", she said quietly.

"Fine", Emma blew out a breath in exasperation as she reluctantly let go of Regina's waist, and took the jacket from Snow.

Regina took a couple of cautious steps away from her, giving Nova room to work. Emma instantly missed the warmth from her body and shrugged her jacket on quickly, zipping it up over her exposed midriff. She watched Regina carefully, and although the dark haired woman seemed steady on her feet, there was still an ashen cast to her olive skin.

"I'm sorry Mom!" Henry rushed over to Regina and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I didn't mean for you to get hurt".

"I'm alright, Henry." Regina carefully hugged him back, running her hands soothingly over his back. "But we will be talking later about actions and consequences."

Henry nodded silently in response.

Nova once again extended her hands and Emma felt a wave of magic brush over her. Her eyes automatically shut at the sensation. It felt like a warm soothing rain was falling on her, and her body relaxed, tension leaching out of her muscles.

"There's not a scratch on you", Nova's voice held a note of surprise in it. "You're perfectly healthy".

Emma's eyes snapped open, and met dark eyes that were watching intently over Nova's shoulder. Regina instantly looked away, but not before Emma saw an unfamiliar expression cross her face. Wait. Was that jealousy?

"Thanks", Emma said gruffly as she tried to catch Regina's eye again. The dark haired woman was having none of it though, and instead focused her attention on smoothing Henry's hair. The kid had yet to let go of her.

"I'm so glad".

Emma suddenly found herself wrapped in a tight hug as Snow flung her arms around her. She soon felt a second pair of arms around her, and inhaled the familiar scent of James's cologne.

"We both are".

Emma allowed the hug for a few moments, before she shifted awkwardly. Her parents reluctantly released her and Emma stepped back, giving herself some space.

"Look, do you think you guys can handle the cleanup" Emma gestured at the mess the area was in. Debris from the half melted container was scattered all over the place. "I just want to run Henry and Regina home".

"Sure Emma", James nodded immediately.

"That really won't be necessary Ms Swan." Regina interrupted coolly. "I'm perfectly capable of driving my son and myself home".

Emma tilted her head and looked at the other woman. "You were unconscious, not so long ago, Regina. Can you really guarantee you can operate a vehicle safely"? She looked meaningfully at Henry, knowing that Regina would never risk their son's safety.

Regina's mouth set into a thin line. "Fine, you may drive us home, Sheriff. But we will be taking my car".

Emma just nodded, knowing when to pick her battles.

"Henry, let's go." Regina turned on her heel and ushered Henry along with her. Emma made a detour to pickup her sword and then jogged after them. She soon caught up with Regina, and the three of them carefully made their way to the car.

* * *

**TBC**

_Ok this chapter took me forever to write. I had a really hard time with it, especially with figuring out the Jabberwocky's abilities and how it would interact with Emma's. But it's finally done. Hope you enjoy._

_I am also toying with an interlude explaining how Emma got her sword and how she figured out her powers._

_Thanks as always for all the wonderful reviews, follows and favourites. They really do make my day to see and help motivate me through the hard bits of writing._


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me. No profit is being made**

* * *

Emma rubbed her hands together and blew on them. It was freezing in her car. The Bug's heating system was temperamental and it was just her luck that tonight happened to be one of the non working nights. She glanced towards the mansion she was parked in front off. None of the lights were on, which wasn't surprising given the hour.

She tucked her hands beneath her armpits and sighed. It was going to be a cold and uncomfortable night without a working heater. At least the strange tugging in her chest had settled down though. She was going to have to have a chat with Regina about this whole champion business. She definitely had questions that needed answers.

Emma reached across to the other seat and traced over the hilt of her new sword. All the gems were dark, a stark reminder of what had happened earlier in the day. Both Nova, and Mother Superior had tried to refill the gems on her sword, but it seemed the Vorpal blade wasn't compatible with fairy magic. It had something to do with fairy magic being based on the dust the dwarves mined, as opposed to being an innate power source.

The only other option was of course Regina, but she currently didn't have the power to refill them. She barely had enough energy to remain upright from what Emma had seen, when she'd dropped her off at home. It would be the perfect time for an enemy to attack and that's why Emma was currently parked outside the mansion. She wasn't about to leave Henry and Regina unguarded. Not after what had nearly happened with the Jabberwocky. Her jaw unconsciously clenched as the memory of seeing that ball of flame bearing down on Henry and Regina played behind her eyes. _If Regina's magic had failed…_

Emma inhaled sharply and deliberately shoved away the memory. She opened the glove box and reluctantly took out a box of bullets. She really didn't like relying on her gun. Experience had taught her that it wasn't all that effective against magic or monsters. They were either too big or too fast, but without a power source to draw on, she currently had no choice. She tossed the box of bullets from hand to hand, before dropping it on the seat beside the sword. She could load the gun later, if the need arose.

Emma drummed her hands on the steering wheel a couple of times, before abruptly opening her door. The best way to keep warm after all, was to move around. She grabbed her sword, more out of habit than anything else, and got out of the car. She instantly regretted the decision when she felt the icy wind slice through her jacket. The car had been protecting her from that at least. With an aggravated sigh, Emma stomped along the sidewalk in front of the mansion. She popped the collar on her jacket and shoved her hands deep in her pockets, doing her best to ignore the tremors rattling through her frame. The exercise was bound to warm her up soon enough.

It was only as her senses brushed against the wards around the mansion, that she realised her mistake. She glanced quickly towards the house and sure enough, a light snapped on.

_Well crap. _

The last thing she intended to do was to disturb Regina. More lights snapped on and Emma groaned, disgusted with herself. She turned around and headed back to the gate. The wards bent around her as she pushed it open and strode up the footpath. She didn't even have to knock. Regina opened the door as she got to it.

Regina was barefoot and wearing a knee length blue silk robe that had obviously been knotted in a hurry. Her usually immaculate hair was falling haphazardly onto her face, and there were dark circles under her eyes. Not since the initial days after the curse had broken, had Emma seen the other woman look quite so dishevelled. Regina's colour was a whole lot better than earlier though. At least the ashen undertone to her skin was gone. Emma had definitely been worried when she'd had to leave to finish the cleanup at the docks.

"Ms. Swan, I hope you have a very good reason for skulking around my bushes". Regina irritably flicked her hair out of her eyes as she tilted her head back to look accusingly at Emma. There was now a distinct height difference between the two women.

"I'm really sorry, Regina." Emma shoved her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. "I got too close to your wards. I didn't mean to wake you".

"That still doesn't explain why you were out there in the first place".

Emma inspected the toe of her right boot as she scuffed it back and forth along the ground. "I was just in the neighbourhood, and thought I'd do a quick sweep of the area". She winced internally knowing the excuse was rather weak. Regina was going to rip it to shreds, but Emma wasn't about to admit that she'd been standing guard because she was worried.

She was surprised when silence greeted her answer. Emma cautiously looked up to see Regina just watching her tiredly.

Regina released a long suffering sigh. "Well now that I'm up, you may as well come in". She turned on her heel and walked towards the kitchen.

Emma stepped into the house and shut the front door, the locks automatically engaging behind her. She hung her sword on the coat rack Regina had placed in the foyer specifically for that purpose. The rack was made of stained dark wood and closely resembled the bare branches of a tree in winter. She thought about taking off her jacket as well, but then decided not to. The house was warm but Emma was still feeling a bit chilled from being out in the cold. She followed after Regina, and made her way into the kitchen.

Emma leaned up against the counter and watched the other woman stalk over to the coffee machine. Regina switched it on and then stood up on tiptoes to retrieve two mugs from the cupboard over her head.

Emma let her eyes wander over soft curves, and trail down toned legs. It was unusual to see Regina out of her power suits and heels. She seemed more human somehow, with her sleep tousled hair and bare feet. There was barely a flicker of power around Regina, but Emma still felt drawn to her. The attraction was just as strong, even without the pull of Regina's magic overlaying her senses.

"Enjoying the view?"

"As a matter of fact, I am", Emma was tired of ignoring the pull that existed between them. Of course she got that magic was playing a part in the strong physical attraction between them, but she didn't think that that's all it was. Not after what had nearly happened today.

Regina turned to face her, surprise flashing over her features at Emma's blunt honesty.

"You know, I find it interesting that you barely have enough power to light a candle". Emma moved forward, closing the gap between them. She gently took the mugs from unresisting hands and put them down beside the coffee machine "In fact, to be honest you look like crap". Dark eyes widened in outrage, as Regina attempted to shift away from her.

Emma placed her hands on the counter on either side of Regina, effectively trapping the other woman. "And yet you're still the most beautiful fucking woman I've ever met, Regina".

"Ms. Swan," Regina said warningly as she gripped the edge of the counter behind her, and leaned back away from Emma. "I believe we've already covered this subject".

"No, _we_ did nothing of the sort". Emma took a breath, the sweet scent of Regina's moisturiser tickling her nose. She shifted closer, just short of making contact with soft curves. She smirked when she noticed Regina biting her lip.

"As I recall, _you're_ the one who decided for the both of us. I didn't get a say in the matter".

Regina's eyes narrowed and she pushed off the counter. She grabbed the lapels of Emma's jacket and tugged, pressing their bodies flush against each other. "Is that so"?

Emma suppressed a groan at the feeling of soft curves pressing firmly against her own. Regina felt and smelt so damn good. Her gaze flicked to the full lips only inches away from her own, before returning to meet inscrutable dark eyes. "Yup", she stared challengingly at the other woman.

Regina tilted her head and smiled.

From one instant to the next, the tugging in her chest exploded back into being in an overwhelming cascade of emotions. Emma sucked in a gasping breath and staggered back a couple of steps. She clutched at her chest, as she struggled to comprehend _worry/fear/DESIRE_, that were all knotted together into a jumble of feelings. The emotions were familiar but they were definitely _not _hers.

"What the hell is going on?" Emma's eyes were wide as she stared at Regina.

"That Ms. Swan", Regina continued to smile that bright cold smile. "Is one of the many reasons why I must continue to insist that you work on your self control".

The foreign emotions abruptly cut off, and Emma slumped in relief. It was disconcerting to feel someone else's emotions like that. She rubbed absently at her chest. Her hand froze mid motion as a thought occurred to her. If she could feel Regina's emotions, did that mean Regina was able to do the same with hers?

"Yes, Ms. Swan, it goes both ways".

Emma immediately backed up to the opposite end of the counter. "You can read my mind?" She didn't even care that her voice was an octave higher than normal as she stared in horror at the other woman.

Regina looked faintly amused at her reaction, but her expression sobered rapidly. "No, I can't read your mind".

Emma's shoulders sagged in relief.

"But I can certainly read the emotions you are broadcasting like a radio station".

"What"? Emma immediately pressed both her hands over her chest, in a vain attempt to create a physical barrier to hold in her emotions. The thought of someone else knowing her innermost feelings was terrifying. She felt nauseous and the urge to run was becoming almost overwhelming.

"You need to calm down, Emma". Warm hands suddenly covered her own.

"Deep breaths". Regina took a breath and pressed firmly against Emma's hands, encouraging her to breathe with her.

Emma concentrated on the dark eyes inches away from her own and slowly breathed in and out, in sync with Regina. A soft thumb gently stroked back and forth over the backs of her fingers.

"Take all the things you are feeling, the fear, the panic, and roll them into a big ball."

Emma shut her eyes and focused on sorting out her emotions into one big ball..

"Now think of a big empty box, and take the ball and put it into that box."

Emma shoved the heavy ball of feelings into the box.

"Imagine a lid, made out of the same metal that bank vaults are made of. Absolutely nothing's going to get though it."

Emma could see the gleaming silver metal of the lid. It was reassuringly solid.

"Now shut the lid on the box".

The lid on the box slammed shut in her head and Emma's eyes snapped open.

"Well done, Ms. Swan", Regina said softly. She let go of Emma's hands and stepped away, putting some distance between them.

"Regina, what the hell?" Emma bent over slightly, trying to get her heart rate back under control. A calming warmth spread through her chest, chasing away the last bits of panic and fear.

Regina sighed. "I did warn you that there would be consequences to being my champion."

Emma shot her an incredulous look. "Oh right, so I should totally have been prepared for the fact that we can now feel each other's emotions"?

"From what I can tell, not all emotions, just the ones we feel very strongly." Regina walked back over to the coffee machine and busied herself at it. "Thinks like anger, fear and panic".

"That makes it so much better", Emma said sarcastically. She straightened up to her full height and focused her gaze on the other woman. Regina seemed remarkably unruffled about their situation, which was odd, given how intensely private she was. "How are you so calm about this?"

Regina pushed a button on the coffee machine and it started brewing. "I had to deliberately project at you in order to share what I was feeling." She turned sideways and leant her hip against the counter. "It's only really strong emotions that will be involuntarily transmitted. Once you have mastered it, the technique I just showed you should be enough to keep even that under control for the most part".

The soft hiss and burble of the coffee machine cut off and Regina turned back to it. She grabbed the second mug and placed it under the machine.

"For the most part?" Emma frowned, not liking the implication. She ignored the deliberately projected part for now, since that didn't sound like anything she would be interested in doing.

"Extremely strong emotions are still likely to get through initially, before you can put a lid on them so to speak".

"Right." Emma shoved her hands into her pockets. "So how do I go about mastering the technique?"

"That's going to take practise." Regina turned around, holding two mugs of steaming coffee in her hands. "You just keep doing it until it becomes second nature. Just remember, it's only very strong emotions like anger and fear that are going to get through, so work on your self control and it shouldn't be a problem".

"Self control. Of course. We're back to that again." Emma rolled her eyes and took one of the mugs from Regina.

Regina held her gaze. "I'm not saying that just to annoy you, Ms. Swan. Things are already complicated enough between us, without having to deal with a champion bond. All I'm asking is that you take this seriously, if not for my sake, then for Henry's. He's the one that's likely to suffer the most if things get out of control between us."

Emma blew out a breath. Regina was right. The champion thing was adding a whole new level of complicated to their relationship. They couldn't afford to mess things up between them. She needed to stop making this about her, and think about the other people involved.

"Ok fine, I will work on my control." Emma ruthlessly stomped down on the twinge of hurt that welled up, as she saw Regina's shoulders sag with relief. She took a sip of her coffee and eyed the other woman over the rim of the mug. "So what else is involved in this whole champion business?"

"It varies for each pair." Regina flicked her hair back. "There are some basics that hold true for all, like knowing when the other is in trouble, but each champion bond is unique in its attributes. We're just going to have to take things as they come".

Emma's eyes narrowed. That answer was rather conveniently vague. "Well for someone who didn't know what to expect, you sure knew how to handle the whole emotional sharing thing".

Regina went very still. "That's because in order to wield magic effectively, you have to be able to control your emotions," she answered quietly, a flash of old pain flickering over her face. "Be glad Ms. Swan, that you did not have to pay the price I did for knowledge of that technique".

Emma winced as she could almost see the other woman's defensive walls come up. From the little Regina had shared about her past, Emma knew that learning magic had not been a pleasant experience for her. For the second time that evening, Emma found herself apologising. "I'm sorry Regina. I'm just a bit thrown about the whole emotion sharing business".

Regina nodded stiffly but didn't look at Emma, choosing to focus on her coffee instead.

Emma took a large gulp out of her own mug and decided a change of subject was probably a good idea. "We didn't find any sign of Jefferson. I even had Red try to track him from the docks, but his trail just poofs into nothing."

"That's hardly surprising given that he is a portal jumper". Regina headed out of the kitchen. "Summoning the Jabberwocky would have been a substantial drain on him though, so we might get a reprieve in magical creature attacks".

Emma trailed after her into the lounge, her gaze unconsciously drifting over long smooth legs. "So you think he's going to lay low for a bit then?"

"It's likely, yes." Regina sat down primly on one of the cream leather armchairs. She narrowed her eyes at Emma when she noticed the direction of her gaze

Emma smiled sheepishly in apology and slumped onto the matching leather sofa.

"Should we try the Paige angle again?" The sofa was incredibly comfortable and Emma had to concentrate to make sure she didn't relax bonelessly into it, like her tired body was demanding.

Regina shook her head. "Let's save that as a last resort. I think there's too big a risk that it might trigger an even more violent response from him". She pursued her lips. "Speaking of which, how did you find out about the portal he used to summon the Jabberwocky so quickly?"

Emma set her cup down on the coffee table, her face scrunching up as she remembered her enforced trip through the hat. "Actually funny story. I got back to my apartment to find Jefferson waiting for me. He managed to catch me by surprise and before I knew it he zapped me into the hat. I ended up at the docks with a front row seat to the Jabberwocky summoning."

Regina frowned. "How did he get past the wards on your apartment?"

"Yeah about that". Emma scratched the side of her face. "I might have accidentally drained all the magic from them". Every time she touched the door at her apartment, she unconsciously absorbed a bit of the magic in the wards, and eventually they ended up totally drained. It was probably something to do with the fact that it was Regina's magic. She just couldn't help herself.

Regina shut her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I was meaning to tell you, but with all the stuff that's been happening recently it just sorta slipped my mind". Emma smiled awkwardly. The fairies had originally warded the apartment, but once Regina had agreed to sharing custody of Henry, she insisted on doing it herself. She'd made it clear that she didn't trust the safety of her son to fairy magic. The practise hadn't changed even after Henry no longer spent nights with Emma.

"It's not that big of a deal anyway. It's not like Henry's been spending any time at my apartment recently, so I haven't compromised his safety." She picked up her coffee and took another big gulp. There was a sudden spike of anger in her chest that was distinctly not hers. The feeling faded away almost as quickly as it had appeared.

Regina carefully placed her mug down on the coffee table and rose to her feet. "I am going to bed, Ms. Swan." Her tone could have been responsible for freezing the Arctic sea, it was that icy. "I believe you can see yourself out". She was gone from the room before Emma even had time to blink.

"What the hell just happened?" Emma slowly lowered her mug as she stared after the other woman. She slumped back into the seat, going over the last few minutes in her head as she tried to figure out what she'd done wrong. Perhaps it was just the stress of the day finally getting to Regina.

Emma stood up with a groan, and stretched tired muscles, before picking up Regina's mug. She definitely wasn't looking forward to going back out into the cold night. At least the hot coffee would help with warding off the chill for a bit. She flicked off the lounge light and walked back to the kitchen, where she carefully washed and dried both mugs.

Emma headed to the foyer to collect her sword and was surprised to see a soft blue blanket folded over the banister next to the coat rack. She ran her fingers over the fabric and glanced up the stairs, before collecting both items. She switched off the lights and left the mansion, making sure the door was locked behind her.

As Emma settled in for a long night in her freezing car, a soft warmth spread through her chest that had nothing to do with hot coffee or the snug blue blanket she was wrapped in.

* * *

Emma strode hurriedly through the corridors of the town hall. She had been called in for another emergency council session. It had been a week since the Jabberwocky encounter and there had been no further magical creature attacks, and frustratingly also no sign of Jefferson. She and most of the sheriffs department had been out scouring the town for him, but they'd had no luck. She'd taken Regina's advice and steered clear of Paige, but Emma knew it was only a matter of time before he started causing trouble again. That kind of crazy didn't just stop.

She rubbed tiredly at her eyes. It had been a long and exhausting week, compounded by the fact that she hadn't been sleeping well. She was restless and constantly tossed and turned, unable to settle into a comfortable position. When she did manage to fall sleep, more from sheer exhaustion than anything else, she found herself sleeping on her side that faced the Mills mansion. It was like her body was automatically trying to adjust to where Regina was. She wondered if she should bring it up with Regina. It seemed like it could be another one of those pesky champion side effects. They hadn't really had much time to talk at all, after that first night. The double shifts that she had been pulling trying to find Jefferson, meant that she rarely got home before midnight. The only contact they'd had this week, were brief conversations at the door when Emma dropped Henry off after school. She was surprised by how much she missed having dinner with Regina and the kid.

Emma pushed open the conference room doors, unsurprised to see that she was pretty much the last one there. "Sorry I'm late. Got held up by a couple of Lost Boys". She slid into the empty seat beside Regina. The other woman didn't even so much as glance in her direction, but Emma felt a surge of irritation and impatience flare briefly in her chest. Regina had taken to deliberately projecting at her, when she felt the need to emphasise a point. It was usually very annoying, but today Emma also caught the undertone of relief that accompanied the other two emotions. She suppressed a grin. Somebody had obviously been worried about her whereabouts.

"No problem Emma", Snow flashed her quick smile, before turning her attention to the rest of the room. "Now that we're all here, we can get started. Mother Superior, the floor is yours".

"Thank you Madame Mayor", the nun inclined her head respectfully. "There is a matter of grave importance that we need to attend to." She opened her hand and placed a silver medallion on the table.

Emma leaned forward and squinted at the medallion. It was engraved with a picture of a group of cloaked horseman. Emma flinched as the picture actually _moved_, the horses galloping across the face of the medallion. The shapes of the riders seemed to change as well, blurring between bestial and human.

"That's the calling card of the Wild Hunt", Granny's voice was shocked.

Mother Superior nodded in acknowledgment. "I'm not surprised you recognise it Lady Lucas, given your family history."

Regina scoffed. "The Wild Hunt is just a fable meant to scare little children."

Emma took the opportunity to study the woman beside her. Regina had seemingly returned to her usual completely put together self. Every strand of her perfect hair was in its correct place. She could also feel the familiar tingle of her magic now back at full strength, flowing over her senses. It was only as she looked closer, that she could see the underlying tiredness beneath the carefully applied makeup. Emma frowned as she wondered if Regina was having trouble sleeping as well.

"I can assure you, Your Majesty, that it isn't a myth". Mother Superior's voice drew Emma's gaze away from Regina. "Several centuries ago, the Dark One brokered a deal with Queen Titania, where she agreed to no longer call down the Wild Hunt in our land. As the years passed, their existence faded into the mists of obscurity, relegated to just fables and myths."

"Titania, the legendary High Queen of the Fae, Mistress of the Wild Hunt. That's certainly a pretty tale, but that's all it is, a story," Regina directed one of her fake smiles at the nun. "I would prefer some actual proof if you don't mind."

"Lady Lucas and her family are living proof of the Wild Hunt's existence".

"What do you mean?" Regina asked sceptically.

"Prior to the deal made with the Dark One, the Wild Hunt would ride every time the full moon coincided with the thinning of the veil between worlds. Queen Titania would select one person from our land to be her consort and when the night ended she would rip their heart from their chest and consume it whole."

"Nasty". Emma scrunched up her face in disgust. The people of fairy tale land certainly seemed to have an unhealthy obsession with hearts.

"Beside the selection of a consort, any unclaimed person caught outside on that night, was considered fair game to the Wild Hunt."

"Fair game?" Snow tilted her head and frowned. "What happened to them?"

Mother Superior looked uncomfortable. "They were caught in the spell of the Wild Hunt and usually lay with whomever took them. The children born from these couplings were unusual. They had the ability to transform into wolves at will. People referred to them as children of the Moon". She nodded meaningfully at Granny and Red.

"I certainly don't have the ability to transform into a wolf at will", Red said tightly.

Mother Superior looked at her with pity. "That's because your bloodline has been diluted. With each successive generation away from the original child of the Moon, the bloodline became weaker, until eventually your family lost the ability to control the change".

"Spare us the false sympathy, fairy", Regina said coldly. "And just tell us why we are here today".

Mother Superior gestured towards the medallion. "Queen Titania always sends warning to the world the Wild Hunt will next ride in. They will be here on the night of the next full moon, the day this world calls Halloween".

Emma's eyes widened in shock. "Halloween is in two days. That doesn't leave us with much time."

Snow's mouth set into a grim line. "We'd better get started then".

* * *

TBC

_This was meant to be a Halloween special, but four and a half thousand words later, here we are. I wrote and rewrote this so many times, especially the scene in the kitchen. I'm still not a hundred percent happy with it, but you get to a stage where you just have to stop. The next part should have a bit more action, and let's just say that Titania looks like Charlize Theron from Snow White and the Huntsman in my head. It's gonna be EQ vs EQ. What could they possibly be fighting over? ;) _

_To the reviewer who asked what Deus ex Machina meant. It means 'God from the machine". It refers to a plot device that an author introduces to solve a seemingly unsolvable problem. Basically Snow's ring is the deus ex machina in this story._

_Thank you again for all the wonderful reviews, follows and favourites. I am really blown away by you guys._


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